Madras Cafe - Movie Review

Starring : John Abraham, Nagris Fakhri,Prakash Belawade, Siddhartha Basu & Ajay Rathnam

Directed by Shoojit Sircar

Music by Shantanu Moitra

Release Date : August 23th 2013 (Not released in Tamil Nadu)

As I am writing this review, I had read that this movie has been pulled off from the UK screens due to protests from some Tamil organizations. Exactly two weeks back, I had a Bengali friend who after watching this movie, had texted me and told me she never knew that ethnic Tamils had suffered so much in Sri Lanka. Is that not testimonial to prove that this movie is not Anti-Tamil ? Being a Tamilian, I did not find anything offensive about Sri Lankan Tamils in this movie. This movie shows us a glimpse of what ethnic Tamils had to endure in Sri Lanka.There is nothing offensive said about the LTTE chief too. In fact, he has been shown in positive light - I was all ears to the dialogues being said in this movie, especially about him. Nagris who plays a British journalist in the movie, remarks about the Tamil outfit leader in the middle of the movie that she has not meet someone who is determined and focused as him and she adds that he would continue fighting till he achieves his goal and also, that he cannot be bought with money. I honestly don't understand what some Tamil outfits found offensive in this movie and barred its release. Let's call a spade a spade. Let those Tamil outfits remember that even the great legend and martyr "Bhagath Singh" was labelled a terrorist by the Britishers.To Hell with Freedom of Speech and Expression in our country. 

                          In India, it requires courage to make a political movie based on true events and we should applaud the creators of this movie for this sole reason, and they have taken a very sensitive issue, of which many Indians, apart from most Tamils, are even not aware of. The Srilankan Tamils issue has never been portrayed by Bollywood and I believe this would be the first time it has been handled by Bollywood. The film starts off with a disclaimer that it is merely a work of fiction. All the names have been changed (LTTE is called the LTF; Anna is the leader of LTF and this character is based on Prabhakar) but the events of this movie are clearly based on the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, which ultimately led to the assassination of our prime minister. In the movie, the plot moves along on excepted path and ends with the the assassination of a former prime minister. Major Vikram (John Abraham) is a RAW officer who is sent to Sri Lanka in a secret operation to broker peace in the country. The Indian government is shown taking sides and plans to supply arms to a particular Sri Lankan Tamil group, which is at loggerheads with the LTF, this is being done in order to capture Anna (Leader of the tamil outfit LTF - played by Ajay Ratnam) who is not ready to co-operate in the peace process and lay down arms as he is afraid that Sri Lankan government would butcher Tamil people after the Indian Army leaves the island. The Indian government wants to end the ethnic war by hook or by crook, and in the process prove it's regional supremacy but the operations go awry and get completely derailed due to some bloody betrayals. The LTF leader is targeted by the Indian Government, but he manages to escape, and emerges stronger. Then, the LTF leader eliminates all his rivals.

                 Vikram Singh does his role in the secret operations valiantly, making personal sacrifices, but fails when it matters most. But the story, is not about his character. This could well be John Abraham’s coming of age role. He looks wooden as always, but he fits in to the narrative quite aptly. Troubled, angry and helpless, frustrated yet committed to duty — he plays it all with maturity. Nargis Fakhri is not bad in her very small role as a foreign journalist. But the overall credit should go to the script, which manages such a complex plot. There are lots of Tamil dialogues in the movie and the actors speak proper Tamil (an oddity in a Hindi movie, Deepika Padukone - were you hearing?) which adds to the authenticity of the movie, given that they have chosen many small time Tamil actors in their cast. The movie has a big list of flaws and loses steam during the second half. This movie drags on during the later part of the second half and gets a tad melodramatic - it also confuses us during this phase. The climax - the assassination part is sure to bring about some nostalgia to people, who were around when the actual assassination took place. 

                          The film showcases that there are no true winners in a war and that the innocent civilians are always the ones who suffer the most. Sircar impressed everyone with "Vicky Donor" and he has again taken up a different genre and impressed us. The director is here to stay. This movie would not become a classic but it is definitely worth a watch. People like SRK should start thinking of making movies like this rather than dancing around in lungis !

What I feel 

My Rating - 6.75/10

Recommended movies which handle the same issue - The Terrorist, Cyanide and Kannathil Muthamittal

What the Internet says

• Reviewing for the Hindustan Times, Anupama Chopra wrote "Madras Café works as an effective portrait of the futility of war. Shoojit Sircar and his writers, Shubhendu Bhattacharya and Somnath Dey, ably illustrate why there are no winners here. Ideologies are marred by corruption and brutality. Death is inevitable and victories, pyrrhic."
• The Hindu praised director Sircar, saying "For long, Hindi films made us believe that it is only Pakistan that we have to deal with. Shoojit Sircar touches base with Sri Lanka and unravels the complex 'Tamil problem' as many living North of the Vindhyas call it. Keeping the jingoistic flavour aside, he plays the game of shadows as it is played with all its muck and grime."

Hand-Picked Trivia

• The film was initially titled Jaffna after the northern Sri Lankan city.It was renamed Madras Cafe, as the plot to kill Rajiv Gandhi was hatched at the cafe.The original location of the cafe is not specified in the film.
• “If I would have gone with this script to anyone else, they would have rejected it because of the kind of sensitivity the subject has. I don’t want to name them, but three of them have already done it. Nobody was ready to produce the film... it’s very daring of John Abraham and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures to back up this project,” director Sircar told the press after the release of the film

Thanga Meengal Movie Review

                    

Thanga Meengal

Direction : Ram

Music Director : Yuvan Shankar Raja

Cinematography: Arbhindu Saraa

Cast: Ram, Sadhana, Rohini and Sally

                          After watching 'Katrathu Tamizh', I had become a fan of director 'Ram' and I had been awaiting his next release for the last five years. Ram's second venture 'Thanga Meengal' has remained in the cans for quite a long time, and finally now, it has seen the light of the day. This movie is about the relationship between a near jobless father Kalyani (Ram) and his young daughter Chellamma. Kalyani simply adores his daughter, and he would go to any lengths to make her smile. But Kalyani does not have any steady income and he is dependent on his father . Chellamma is a slow learner, and is very often rebuked at school, by few teachers. Chellamma is shown to be very inquisitive and keeps bugging everyone with loads of questions.Chellama is obsessed with a particular fantasy involving 'Thanga Meengal' (Gold Fishes)

                                 The first half is brilliant. All the characters are quite strong, be it Kalyani's wife,or 'Rohini' who plays his mother. The conversations that Chellamma has with her friend, Nityashree who stays next door are simply amazing and realistic. The girl who plays Nityashree is adorable. Padmapriya plays a cameo as a teacher in Chellamma's school and her role is quite limited. However, there are few questions left unanswered about her, particularly when Kalyani goes to meet her at her house. Ram seems to be a natural when it comes to acting, and plays the role of an impractical man with his own set of principles, to near perfection in the first half. However, he goes overboard on his emotions during the second half - which does not go well. Kalyani is forced to leave his daughter and wife in search of a job and the rest of the story deals with the family's turmoils. The director has subtly made digs at our educational system and he has also mocked the manner, in which some private schools function. 

                                               The second half is slow and starts to try your patience before we start seeing some action.The climax is heart whelming and it is sure to strike a chord with everyone. The subtle justification for the title at the very end is apt.The movie is a treat for the eyes, and you are sure to fall in love with the village that Chellamma lives in;the village is very scenic.  The camera work in this movie is outstanding and enhances the beauty of the village. Yuvan's music is a big plus to this movie and the already popular 'Ananda Yazhai' is a visual treat, with some superb and innovative visualization. Kudos to Ram and the producer, Gautham menon for giving us an offbeat product with no commercial elements. Ram proves his talent yet again. The film has many flaws, but the final product is good. There are some scenes which test your patience and there are some outstanding scenes, which really touches your heart. 

                      Sadhana who plays chellama is an excellent find and she has literally lived her character - an award winning performance for sure. Tamil movies mostly, be it Mani ratnam's movies of the yore, or some recent movies had always given us artificial child characters - there have been many exceptions to this case,say the movie 'Pasanga' was an exception, where children were shown as 'children'. Ram has successfully achieved the same in this movie, given that it is a herculean task to make a child act. 

           On the whole, compared to the recent trash that the Tamil industry has been showering upon us, this movie is good and a definite watch. This movie is a very brave attempt and is quite brilliant at points, though it is let down in the second half by its screenplay and few over dramatic scenes, it stands tall with the help of some well etched and strong characters.

What I feel

My rating - 6.75/10

What the Internet says 

According to Indiaglitz, "Ram deserves a special mention for his direction cum acting, with only two movies he has proved his mettle and Kollywood needs more directors like him no doubt."

Prashanth Reddy of Desimartini wrote, "It ["Thanga Meengal"] sets out to genuinely win our affections but manages to do that only on certain rare occasions. Save for a couple of strong scenes, the film is otherwise a mawkish puppy which keeps coming back to lick your heart. And in case you were wondering, it doesn't pack even half of the emotional punch of 'Katradhu Tamizh'."

M Suganth of The Times of India wrote, "Thanga Meenkal shares many of Kattradhu Tamizh's film's strengths and flaws. It is a well-intentioned effort, strikingly shot, and held together by persuasive performances. At the same time, it is also relentlessly grim and bludgeons you into submitting to the point of view of the film maker, and by the time it ends, makes you believe you have personally gone through the ordeals of the film's characters."

Aadhalal kadhal seiveer - Movie Review (in Tamil)

ஆதலால் காதல் செய்வீர்! 

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Review by Prabhu Balasubramani (Mail: expert.prabhu@gmail.com)

யதார்த்த வாழ்வுகளின் பிம்பங்களை தன் கதையின் மூலமாய் உயிர் கொடுத்து வெண்ணிலா கபடி குழு,நான் மகான் அல்ல, அழகர் சாமியின் குதிரை என தனது படைப்புகள் மூலமாய் அவற்றை மக்கள் மனதில் பதிய வைத்த இயக்குனர் சுசீந்திரனின் இன்னொரு அழுத்தமான படைப்பு "ஆதலால் காதல் செய்வீர்". 

இந்த முறை அவர் கையில் எடுத்திருக்கும் கதை கரு இன்றைய காதலின் குறும்புகளும் தலும்புகளும்.

கார்த்தியும் (சந்தோஷ்) ஸ்வேதாவும் (மனிஷா) கல்லூரி நண்பர்கள். அவர்கள் நண்பர் கூட்டத்தின் கூத்துக்களுடனும் கும்மாலங்களுடனும் நகர தொடங்கி.. கார்த்தி ஸ்வேதாவை ஒரு தலையாய் காதலிக்க  அதற்கு நண்பர்கள் கொடுக்கும் யோசனைகளும் ,அப்பாவிடம் அடம் பிடித்து  பைக் வாங்குவது தொடங்கி பேருந்தில் இருந்து குதித்து ஸ்வேதாவின் அனுதாபம் பெற்று காதலை கனிய வைக்கும் வரை காமெடியாகவும் காதலாகவும் மிதமாக நகரும் கதை.... அவர்களின் காதல் கரை தாண்டி காமம் தொட்டு எல்லை மீறிடும் போது சட்டென வேகம் பிடிக்கிறது. காதல் என்ற மாய உலகிலிருந்து தள்ளப்பட்டு யதார்த்த வாழ்வின் சூழ்நிலைகளால் அவதிப்படும் காதலர்கள்.. தங்கள் காதலை குடும்பம் கௌரவம் என  சமூகத்தின் விழிகளால் பார்க்க தொடங்கும் தருணத்தில் ஏற்படும் குழப்பங்களையும் நிகழ்வுகளையும் அழகாய் கோர்த்து இதயம் கனக்க கதையை முடித்திருக்கிறார் இயக்குனர்...

யுவனின் இசை கதைக்கு உயிர் சேர்க்கிறது.குறிப்பாக கடைசி பாடல் காதுகளில் நுழைந்து , கண்களில் தவழ்கிறது கண்ணீராக.. 

நாயகன் சந்தோஷ் கதையின் நாயகனாக வலம் வருகிறார். திரைக்கதை நகர நகர அவரது நடிப்பும் நம் கவனம் ஈர்க்கிறது..  

நாயகி மனிஷா விற்கு வழக்கு எண் 18/9 படத்தினை போலவே இந்த படத்திலும் வலுவான கதாபாத்திரம். அதனை அழகாய் உள்வாங்கி அற்புதமாய் பிரதிபலித்திருகிறார்.. அம்மாவிடம் பொய் சொல்லி தப்பிக்கும் இடங்களிலும் சரி.. காதலுடன் சண்டையிடும் இடங்களிலும் சரி.. மிக நேர்த்தியாக நடித்துள்ளார்..

'காதலில் சொதப்புவது எப்படி' அர்ஜுன் வரும் இடங்களில் கலகலப்பு.. கை தட்ட வைக்கிறது.. 

கார்த்திக்கின் தந்தையாக நடித்திருக்கும் ஜெய பிரகாஷ் சராசரி நடுத்தர வர்க்கத்து தந்தையின் அத்தனை உணர்வுகளையும் அழகாய் வெளிப்படுத்தி கதைக்கு கணம் சேர்த்திருக்கிறார்..

திரைக்கதையை மிக நேர்த்தியாக செதுக்கி.. இறுதி காட்சியில் தன் முத்திரை பதித்து மீண்டும் தன்னை சிறந்த இயக்குனராய் நிரூபித்திருக்கிறார் சுசீந்திரன்...

ஆதலால் காதல் செய்வீர் ! ஆதலால் காதல் மட்டும் செய்வீர்!

Rating - 7/10
Review by Prabhu Balasubramani (Mail: expert.prabhu@gmail.com)

The Cabin in the Woods - Movie Review

The Cabin in the Woods

Year of release : 2012

Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Connolly and Fran Kranz

Director: Drew Goddard

Music : David Julyan

Cinematography : Peter Deming

                                      The movie begins with a scene at  a sophisticated lab, where we are shown two men having a general discussion, and then an assistant intervenes, and delivers a  message about some other facility of their organization. Elsewhere, we are shown five students heading off to a lonely cabin in the woods. There are no means of communication present at the cabin and they are totally cut off with the rest of the world. Chris Hemsworth a.k.a "The Thor" was the only one whom I was able to identify among the cast. The plot about the students are very much cliched, complete with a nerd, an athlete and a dumb guy. Embarking on their trip, they stop at a station for petrol, and to ask for directions, and the old guy present there, is very unfriendly and tells them that they would have troubles coming back from the cabin. They ignore him and then head for the cabin, passing through a long tunnel. Meanwhile, the old guy at the petrol station calls up the people at the lab and informs them that the youngsters are on their way to the cabin.

                    After arriving at the cabin, they go into their respective rooms, and we are shown that every room has a hidden camera, and the people at the lab are continuously monitoring them.The gang of five start partying, and start playing truth or dare, some in the gang start behaving unusually, when suddenly the basement door opens, and then, they are shown bringing back the dead. All this, while all the employees at lab are watching them through cameras, and betting on which type of the dead, they would awaken. The rest of the movie deals with what happens to the gang - whether they make it alive out of the woods or not, and only during the climax, the entire plot is revealed, as to how they brought back the dead, why were they being treated as scapegoats by the people at the lab.

All I can say is that, I felt that IMDb has got it all wrong about this movie. This movie has a rating of over seven - grossly overrated. Make no mistake, this movie is absolute trash. The so-called last act, where the suspense is revealed, makes you feel like an Idiot (with a capital I), and I seriously wanted to bang my head against something. I was wondering what the director wanted to make - horror, or comedy or a spoof movie. The movie has this TV reality meets Horror meets Greek mythology - sort of story line. This movie does not belong in any of these genres. I read that they had wanted to make a Satirical movie as a tribute to the cliched and trash horror movies of the past , but nor is this movie entertaining, nor is it funny nor does it pay any tributes. Did the movie wanted itself to be taken seriously, or was trying to be Satirical - anyways it fails big time. I wonder whether they paid people to write reviews ! They wanted to make something special, but instead produced garbage.

What I feel

My rating - 3/10

Recommended movies of the same genre - One thing, I don't recommend anyone watching this movie !

One Liners - Over hyped trash, IMDb - We lost our faith on you, The Americans have lost it, Don't waste your time (as I wasted mine by watching this movie, and then by reviewing it as well)

What the Internet says 

IMDb rating : 7.1/10

Tomatometer:  92%  Average rating - 7.2/10

Hand Picked Trivia (Source : The IMDb)

Won five 2012 Fright Meter Awards, including Best Horror Movie, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.

World Movies - The Intouchables

The Intouchables

Language : French

Year of Release : 2011

Cast : Francois Cluzet,Omar Sy and Anne Le

Direction : Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano

Music : Ludovico Einaudi

Cinematography : Mathieu Vadepied

                                          The French produce quality movies in varied genres that Hollywood cannot even match. The Intouchables is such a classic,which is inspired by a true story - this movie hits the bull's eye.The film begins with Driss (Omar) driving Philippe's (Cluzet) car rashly, and the cops begin chasing them. The story is then told to us in a long flashback.

Philippe is a millionaire from Paris, who had been paralyzed after an accident,is shown interviewing for candidates for the position of his caretaker. A jobless, carefree Driss shows up at the interview, he gets frustrated because of the long wait and skips the queue and barges in the interview chamber.He has not come looking for a job but he wants Philippe to sign a document for the Social Security so that he would get his unemployment benefit. Philippe is furious, yet he is amused by Driss's sense of humour and offers him a probation period of one month as his caretaker. After which, Philippe would decide to keep him on the job or not. Driss accepts the offer and moves in Philippe's bungalow. How his arrival brings about a positive change in the life of Philippe, his adopted daughter and all of Philippe's employees forms the rest of the story. The movie deals with how friendship is struck up between two highly unlikely individuals - a paralyzed french millionaire - who loves art and poetry and a poor easy-going and carefree guy of Senegal origins, who has had few criminal charges against him in the past. The movie never goes overboard on emotions, and gives us an interesting take on the life of a physically challenged individual. It also shows the disparities in lifestyles between the elite and the poor in France.This movie is a masterpiece and both the leads have done an amazing job, it is very tough to pick up the better among these two. However, Omar gets an extra like from me, because of his charming screen presence and cheeky one liners. The screenplay is great, and the entire team has done a great job by adapting a real life story onto the big screen. This movie takes you on a memorable emotional roller coaster ride, and I certainly enjoyed every frame of this movie. At the same time, the movie is such a laugh riot,and makes you laugh till your stomach aches  in many of the scenes. Omar makes you laugh with almost every statement of his.The movie takes a dig on art and music, but also signifies the importance of music in our lives. The movie subtly conveys the message life ought to be lived to the fullest until the last breath.This one manages to stay clear of all cliches that you attach with such movies and ends on a positive note.

What I feel

My Rating : 9

One Liners :  Le Masterpiece, Instant Classic, Simply irresistible !

Recommended movies of the same genre/similar plots : Bucket List, Scent of a Woman, The Shawshank Redemption

What the Internet says

IMDb rating : 8.5/10

Tomatometer : 75%  Average rating : 6.8/10

Hand Picked Trivia (Source: The IMDb & The Wikipedia)

The plot of the film is inspired by the true story of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and his French-Algerian caregiver Abdel Sellou, discovered by the directors in a documentary film.

Although the real-life 'Driss' was an Algerian man called Abdel, the directors changed the character's nationality to West-African, as they had enjoyed working with Omar Sy previously.

With over 8 million moviegoers, this was the most successful movie in Germany in 2012 beating the likes of "Skyfall" and the "Ice Age 3"


External Links
 Untouchable: the true story that inspired a box office hit - Article from the Telegraph

The Conjuring - Movie Review

                 

The Conjuring     

Release Date in India : August 2nd 2013

Cast : Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson and Ron Livingston.

Direction : James Wan ( most famous for his movie "Saw")

Music : Joseph Bishara

Cinematography : John Leonetti

              After hearing wonderful reviews of the Conjuring, I was dying to watch this movie. I finally managed to catch it last week, at a good theater. The movie starts off with an investigation by the paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine upon the case of the "Annabella" doll. Then, the director grabs your complete attention and curiosity through a single sentence - "Based on the True Story". Then, we are shown a family moving into an old farmhouse along with their five daughters. The story line about this family is quite predictable with the usual spooky and strange happenings at their house - like the dog refusing to enter inside the farmhouse, birds dying, strange noises etc.What is different in this movie though is that the director has managed to scare us quite well through the masterful handling of camera and sound, and he does not employ graphics much, and he has shown very limited blood and gore, it would have been just another horror story otherwise. The "Hide & Clap" scene is superb and deserves special mention, and scares the living hell out of you.There are many other such scenes in this movie which gives a jump.When things go out of hand, the lady of the house contacts the Paranormal investigators and brings them on-board. What happens to the lovely family; do the investigators manage to drive away the demons, why are the demons haunting this farmhouse;do the demonic spirits torment the family of the investigators too, all these questions form the rest of the story.The director has successfully made an excellent horror movie when compared to hollywood horror movies of the recent past.The acting, screenplay and direction were top notch. James Wan has given us a film that genuinely scares us, and manages to build up the tension before delivering the final thrills.The director has taken up an old story and he has presented it in a great way.The movie is a teeny weeny bit long, considering Hollywood standards.Since I had gone to watch this movie with great expectations, I felt a bit let down, after watching the complete movie.I had loved the "Saw" movie, that movie kind of re-defined horror then. Maybe I should not have expected so much, I just felt that this movie was very good, but definitely not a classic. I felt the plot in the movie was wafer thin and the final scenes were very predictable. Classic horror, for me is synonymous with "Hitchcock movies". Maybe if I had watched the movie before all the hype, I might have felt otherwise. All said and done, this movie has already become a blockbuster globally, and it is an instant crowd puller.It has already set the cash registers ringing, and I can visualize the producers laughing their way to the bank as the movie seems to have been made on a shoe string budget.  I guess it would have already broken many records for a movie of the horror genre.

What I feel 

My Rating - 7.5/10

Recommended movies of the same genre - The Shining, The Birds and REC (Spanish)

One Liners - Must Watch, Good movie with nice thrills and scares,Horror Blockbuster,Nice attempt to dish out old wine in a new bottle, could have been a classic - falls short!

What the Internet says

IMDb rating (As of today) - 7.8

Tomatometer - 86% Average Rating - 7.2/10

Hand Picked Trivia ( Source: IMDb )

• Real Life paranormal investigators "Ed and Lorraine Warren" investigated the Perron's Rhode Island farmhouse from 1973-1974. 
• Lorraine Warren and 'Andrea Perron' served as consultants to director James Wan and the screenwriters. They both claim the movie is accurate to the real story of what happened to the Perrons during the 10-years they lived in the farmhouse.
• Lili Taylor researched The Exorcist to prepare for her role. 
• This movie is the second film composer Joseph Bishara has scored for James Wan , it is also the second time he has played a demon figure for him. He has portrayed Bathsheba Sherman (The demon in this movie) and had previously played a demon in the movie "Insidious". 
• The real life Lorraine Warren appears in a cameo on this movie.The elder woman in the front row of the classroom when Carolyn is listening to the Warren's presentation.