Hemanth-2 Reviews

Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu (2006)

10 Reasons I hated VV

[4/10 · 28 August 2006]

On the way back from IMC6 (San Jose, California), all five (mind you, three of us hardcore Kamal fans) of us had reached a unanimous verdict; VV was solid crap and thanks to the movie we were going to have a pretty screwed up Monday. Not to mention, we swore to stay off the theatres for the next year.

I won't blame Kamal here because he sort of dropped a hint in a recent interview with cartoonist Madan (on Vijay TV). He said something like, "Tamizh Cinema'la Photography, Editing'la namba munnera'na maadri Screenplay, Direction, Acting'la innum namba munnera'la" (Tamil Cinema has grown in terms of Photography and Editing, but we have hardly improved, when it comes to Screenplay, Direction and Acting"). While you're watching VV, those words ring very true.

Now, here are the 10 Reasons to hate this movie:

1. Harris Jeyaraj

2. Harris Jeyaraj

3. Harris Jeyaraj I'm barely holding myself from using expletives here, but fact is HJ has mastered the fine knack of screwing up every recent movie of his (remember 'Anniyan', 'Ghajini') with the jarring cacophony, he bills as background music. The next time I have an eardrum transplant, he's paying for it.

4. Songs Neither do the songs help move the movie's narration spatially/temporally nor do they make you sit up and take notice. The film feels like it's made of four VERY long songs with a few scenes thrown in between them.

5. A Short gone too far. VV at best is fit to be a short story, not a 2 hour plus "thriller". To use a cliché here, like the Energizer bunny it goes on and on and on; only in this case you don't want it to. The later part of a movie feels like a big drag.

6. Kamal-Jothika pairing Two ice cubes rubbed together could've produced more sparks than this lead pairing. There's no reason you would root for them to make it together. In fact every time they get together in the second half of the movie, they make a good irritant to the narration. Hate to say this, but Kamalini Mukerjhee's 10 minute romancing does more than what Kamal and Jothika achieve in this movie plus 'Thenali'.

7. Kamal Haasan's accent Kamal has this pretentious accent that nobody speaks either in India or in the US; and it isn't new either. He's been doing it since 'Thoongadae Thambi Thoongadae'. It's simply gets on the nerve. Imagine what havoc it can cause when his flair for using this strange accent meets shooting on location in the US. He doesn't leave it at the Immigration either, he offers doses of advice to his men (bewildered TN Cops from Keeranor, Sathoor and beyond) in chaste Kamanglish ("Wha we hav here is plain bad police wok"), of course with nauseating effect.

8. Logic There are a few directors whom you expect to stand up to a certain scale. Gautam fails us badly with some crappy performance in the Department of common sense. Which D.C.P in his senses would meet his love interest on the streets to discuss such matters as committing himself and life after! The scene inside the theatre was so bad, towards the climax; we could hear people behind us loudly challenge the Hero's IQ. "Is he stupid, can't he just use his Siren or Lights?" (On a busy Madras road, Kamal-the-cop-on-a-police-Jeep chases a guy on a bike just like any ordinary dude!). "Can't he just use his gun?" ("The guy on a bike" starts on foot and we have a fully geared Kamal in hot pursuit for a considerable amount of time). I'm not voting in favour of the later, but I'm just trying to explain the mood inside.

9. Gore & Violence If I wanted to watch women being raped, their throats getting slashed, more women getting raped and thrown into the bushes with excruciating authenticity, I would sit at home and rather watch a "Police Report" or "Kuttram". The use of excessive violence should go in a way to extend the story, not overwhelm it! Somewhere down the line Gautum seems confused about what the extensions (rapes, murders) are and what the mainstay (story) is!

10. Even a double shot Espresso couldn't get the pain out of the head.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

LOTR has another convert

[20 December 2003]

The last two LOTR parts I cared less if someone kept talking or distracting me, but this time I was annoyed, very annoyed even when somebody sneezed silently. The last time around, I had left a (very) -ve comment about 'The Two Towers' at this site and I received my first flame. Someone wrote me an email to let me know that I was a "Funny guy". Maybe I was and I still feel let down by the earlier two, but I'm a convert now. Reading the Book helps appreciating the movie better, much better.

'Lord of the Rings: Return of the King' is an awesome and spellbinding spectacle. The 201 minutes RUNNING time (w/o break) seemed like 20 minutes, except for the lack of blood flow in my foot. I could spend half the workday at work browsing the net for fun, but I've never got the same satisfaction, spending the same time at this movie. The sense of satisfaction may have been due to the fact that we had a conclusion this time, but there was no mistaking the spell that Peter Jackson casts on us, with his clear and clever approach to complete the Trilogy.

Graphics is the backbone of this Movie, without any doubt. The battles at Pellennor Fields have moved the CGI a generation ahead, since Helms Deep (in Two Towers). Without the Graphics I doubt a movie of this sweep could have been possible. While we've got used to Gollum, its still amazing how they've painted this fellow, character-wise and graphics wise.

Gandalf gets busy defending Minas Tirith (setting up this city by itself a HUGE achievement), as they others try to locate Frodo and Sam.

The focus shifts to Frodo and Sam, as they approach Mount Doom. Their friendship is tried and tested by Gollum. Sam shows courage, strength and character to stand up to his friend. In the end the Hobbits get a salute from everyone including the King (Aragon) himself. The last few minutes are very emotional and could make your eyes mushy, just like the time we had the farewell Party at School.

One question that kept me nagging all through was, where on (middle) earth is Saruman. How can the movie end without showing Saruman being slayed or defeated (in person)! - Seems we'll have to wait for the DVD now.

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Matrix 2.0: Upgraded

[16 May 2003]

Had to see it on Day 1, show 1 and its cool. The coolest action movie just got better and its worth every bit of the hype. Its got loads of panache. Its got a couple of sequences that is going to take light years for anyone to come close to faking.

The movie tends to drag a bit at the start but once it gets to business we know it best for it kicks butts. No one needs to validate the Wachowski brothers' intelligence but they put it to ample use here, be it inserting totally unnecessary scenes e.g. When Neo pays a visit to Oracle he is has to prove that he is the "one" by proving his Kung-Fu skills and cleverly cover this up too (Neo:"You could have just asked") then there is a demo fly to the sky, superman style, which seemed a little out of place; making even the most mediocre situation look spetacular. While the movie has technical aspects and the movie looks miles ahead, the sequences get your heart pounding are: 1. Neo fighting around 100 clones of Agent Smith. Its not like we haven't seen Heroes fend of so many, but the sheer presentation and the Wachowskis signature makes it seem like we've never ever seen anything like this before (nor are we going to see something like this in the near future). The best part is when he swings the Iron staff to fight the multiplying Agents and starts cracking skulls, literally. I think I can still hear the sound reverberating in my mind. 2. The chase on the Freeway as someone pointed out sometime ago, will make Fast and Furious look like a cartoon show. Trinity and Morpheus fight it out with the Twin Ghosts ("programs gone bad") and the Agents in Car, on Truck tops and then on Bike as they try to snatch the "keymaker". Just breathtaking stuff.

The Story in a line: Zion, the last city resisting The Matrix is under attack from machines and has 72 hours to fight back, Morpheus and his team must follow the prophecy, get to the core of the Matrix to "put an end to the war". The movie was surprisingly easy to follow until Neo encounters the Matrix 'Architect'. From then on it was like someone was trying to explain writing a compiler in 'C'. Got to catch it again. Anyway nothing much in terms of the story content.

The ultimate visual treat, but it may not make every Matrix fan happy. As for anyone watching it for the first time, it may not be THAT impressive a movie, taken in total.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

It's gets more boring as it grows..

[5/10 · 23 December 2002]

I know I may be banished for saying this. The second installment of LOR is as boring and as soulless and the first one. I read the positive reviews and floored by a perfect 100% on rottentomatoes.com's fresh meter. I thought I should see it right away. I sat through this movie for almost 3 hrs just wondering when it was going to pick up its momentum - well it never came. What a big letdown?

Yet, the "Two Towers: may run for a year and gross a Billion dollars. Maybe this has to do with the magic woven by the Book and hence the hypnotic effect it leaves on LOTR fans. As for me, I'm just dazed and confused and seriously considering if I should go back when "The King Returns".

Credit should be given to the Director and the f/x team for Gollum (is one of the saving graces) and the battle for Helm's deep. Otherwise it measures up to 'The Mummy' with too many leads, a sweeping landscape and extraordinary spl f/x - nothing more.

5/10

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Seems to go on and on and on...

[6/10 · 17 May 2002]

The pre-release critics who were baying for Attack of the Clones' blood were justified to a large extent. Or may be it's a prejudice after reading all those reviews (most of them -ve).

You just feel like you're caught inside an XBoX game and can't get out of it for 2.5 hrs (luckily this wasn't as long as LOR)! Duration (considering how little story is being said) of the movie may be its biggest handicap.

I guess the problem with the movie seems to be the predictability of the movie's flow and the graphics overkill. We've just seen some much of this cloning business (a small group fighting a large multitude of beasts/mummies/ghosts/insects/robots/droids.... in the recent past that the only great feature (the visual extravaganza) seems to get boring and monotonous at times.

Even the most enthusiastic fans who were cheering at the start for almost anything that moved on the screen, where walking out of the theatre like they were following a funeral procession when the closing credits were rolling.

Can't complain about the acting, nor about the music, but the movie as a whole was a let down for me. Definitely, Lucas is much more capable than this and we deserve a better value for the 8.95 ticket + long wait in the line and the anxiety to see another Star War episode which lives up to the old spirit and storytelling prowess.

American History X (1998)

Why don't the make movies like these, too often?

[10/10 · 20 February 2002]

American History X is a wake-up call to anyone living in the US, no matter if you're a White, Black, Hispanic or Asian. It brings us the subconscious racial divide in everyone so clear and crisp, that it makes one question himself (herself) of his or her real stand on the issue of racial prejudice.

Tony Kaye has done such a fine job, that I must kiss his hand and worship him forever for his direction in just this one movie. He's managed to deliver a 'message', managed to keep the flow so smooth, managed to keep the story balanced, managed to tell us a very convincing story without compromising on any of the values that film has set out on. In short, he's given us one of the best movies at a time when we are fed on half-baked and good-for-nothing garbage.

Of course it's sad to note that some people have used the movie as propaganda machine to their own ends and the dialogues, quoted in the wrong forum, for the wrong reasons (against the very spirit of the movie). Whether or not people have learnt lessons from the movie, I hope it's definitely shaken a lot of folks and made a few THINK.

The acting is top class across actors and a special note of appreciation for Ed Norton's outstanding acting; it's hard to believe it was not recognized. The fact that Roberto Benigni won the Oscar over Norton is hard for ME to digest.

All in all a movie to watch. Never miss this one...

10/10

A Passage to India (1984)

Good, but not Great

[20 February 2002]

For anyone who's followed David Lean's movies in the chronological order, it might seem a bit of a disappointment to watch The Passage to India, for it does not have a strong storyline to boast of, neither is the Landscape captured the way it is in Lawrence of Arabia or Dr Zhivago. The casting of non-Indians for most of the India characters was a sore point, but I don't know if that can be held against David Lean. Alec Guinness depicting a Brahmin Professor was definitely gross.

The Positive aspects of the movie are the characterization. Just couldn't avoid the feeling that some of the main characters in the story had some resemblances to "To Kill a Mockingbird", even though Forster had written them before Harper Lee was even born. Apart from that its one of the few movies that capture the Prejudice that the British and the Indians had against each other. The movie also captures for us (partially though) vintage India, that we seldom see. Some of the details in the sets and the props were just rare and a painstakingly researched.

For all the genius that David Lean is, he too falls for the clichés about India that any western director indulges in. The music that one hears at the market, so frequently is purely South Indian (Madras Presidency at that time), and could NEVER have been heard within 1000 miles of Bombay (Marabar, is just 100 miles from Bombay).

Overall, the movie is good to watch, but just once. It's no where close to any of his Epics, since Bride on the River Kwai. Yes, you cannot expect this every time, but remember we're talking about David Lean. Can gods go wrong?

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Much Overhyped. Disappointing.

[5/10 · 25 December 2001]

Before you start reading further, I have to confess that I'm not a fan or a Lords of the Rings follower. I'm just an ordinary guy looking out for a good movie to spend my evening, so all you fans have to forgive me if I've committed Blasphemy. Lords of the Rings did not live up to MY expectations. IMHO it's a very ordinary movie if you take out the breathtaking visuals that dot the movie every now and then. Three hours was way too much for a screenplay, which was anything but predictable and was meandering the way it wished with no one single persons storyline. Everyone has a story and the problem is that there are too many people and somewhere down the line we care less about what they're trying to accomplish. Of course the spoiler being that there is no 'ending'. It's OK with me 'cause I know the sequels in line, but what about people who saw it as a single entity. "This isn't funny" was the remark from the guy behind me when "the end" came suddenly and there were more unmentionable remarks too. For people who were patiently watching the movie for more than 180 minutes, it was way beyond anything. It's not like we're watching some TV series, where the wait for the next episode is a short wait. If you've seen Harry Potter already, you're going to hate this movie even more. One thing we get a feeling of Deja vu in a few scenes, another is where Harry Potter won; Lord of the Rings loses badly. It's not without its high point though. LORs has some stunning visuals and well done action sequences, but they come just in time just to keep you from looking for the "Exit" sign. It's a pity that all the hardwork and effort has gone such a waste. I rushed to watch the movie on Christmas day itself since it got a rating of 9.5, even though I knew it would have much to do with 'fans' of "Lord of the Rings". Its ranked No.1 and its hard to digest it after watching the movie and my instinct is its going nosedive out of the top 100 in a matter of just a few more days. I would rate it 5/10.

Nayakan (1987)

The Godfather comes to Tamil, with a difference

[14 August 2001]

Even though Nayagan seems like a compressed version of The Godfather series and despite the fact that a lot of the scences in the movie give you sense of deja vu(after you've watched Godfather. Nayagan is probably one of the best movies made in Tamil(and may be in any Indian language). Apart from changing the very face of movie making in India, it had send so many refreshing trends.

Nayagan is the story of a boy(Velu), who loses his father(a Trade Union leader) and runs away to Bombay, after assualting the Police who kills his father. In Bombay he is brought up by a pious Muslim fisherman. By turn of events, Velu is pulled into committing Crime(and fighting too). Velu grows into a Don and slowly the power of it takes him to a different world, where he is the command, but he slowly losses his dear ones and it finally ends with his death at an old age, with a moral message that one who lives by the sword(gun), dies by it.

Kamal had given one of his best performances in this movie, for which he rightfully won the National Award for Best Actor. The Music of Illayaraja, Photography of P C Sreeram and the Art of Thotta Tharani were other High points of the movie, not to mention the magical touch of Manirathnam, who made a permanent name for himself after making Nayagan.

A must watch movie, for anyone who hasn't seen it.

8MM (1999)

Amazingly different

[9/10 · 20 March 2001]

8mm has once again proved, how committed an actor Nicholas Cage is, to have chosen to act in movies like this. Its so gripping and pulsating, I wonder how it got a rating less than 7 - it deserves much better. First of all its breaks a lot of Hollywood cliches and then it embarks on a totally different path, that it leaves you spell bound and asking for more.

Credit should go to director Joel Schumacher, for having made a bold and well-made movie like this. Its a MUST watch for anyone who likes suspense movies with a touch of class. If you are yet to watch it, be ready come face to face with some ugly realities and hypocrisy in this society and come out with a sense of guilt. Don't miss this movie.