smadhumitha Reviews

Azhakan (1991)

Best of Balachander

[9/10 · 5 January 2007]

One aspect of all Balachander films is the way he hits you with bis message..he does not convey the message..he hits you with them and hits you hard...but Azhakan is an exception.....He drives home the story in this film very subtly aided by great music and wonderful performances. Azhakan tells the story of a widowed father (Mamootty) and his 4 children and the twists in his life when 3 women fall for him while he falls for one of them. The movie is not a typical masala Tamil movie with women falling for the protagonist for his heroism. The reason behind each woman's desire is very rationally explained.

Mammooty gives a splendid performance and shows that a hero need not be a 20 something angry youngster wanting to take revenge or correct the society by taking on villains one on one. He is a loving father, a successful hotelier, a respectable citizen, an earnest lover and an understanding person. Geetha, Madhubala and Banupriya have played their roles excellently. Geetha as the Professor, Madhubala as the chirpy teenager are apt for their roles. Bhanupriya as the Dancer who is dedicated to her art gives a good performance with some great dance sequences. The song "Kozhi koovum" exploits her skill to the fullest. Each and every character has a touch of humour blended into it, while Suresh Chakkravarthy's character embodies humour.

The film is a good example for cinema that is not very serious but at the same time does not bore or irritate you with senseless twists and turns. The scenes where Mamootty interacts with his children are a delight to watch and hats off to the director for giving a great family story. A movie not to be missed if you are looking for a soft, simple and interesting movie with some good performances.

Punnagai Mannan (1986)

One of the best of Kamal and KB

[9/10 · 5 January 2007]

This movie is definitely one of the best movies made in Tamil. You can give anything for Kamal's performance as Sedhu and Ilayaraja's music. The story is beautifully told with some hilarious and touching side tracks as well - that of Chaplin Chellapa (Kamal again) and Sri Vidhya. Revathi proves her skill with her dancing and acting. The movie is a delight to watch an is not just another romantic flick.The romance on screen is poetry brought to screen..........

The songs are mesmerizing and each frame a treat to the eyes. The dance sequence of Kamal and Revathi just before the wonderful scene in which Kamal tells Revathi of his love are top-notch !! There may be different views on the ending. But I felt it was just very different and gave a touch of poignancy to the whole movie. Lastly, I'll bet anything that you simply cannot resist falling in love with Kamal after watching this movie. I did !!!

Oru Veedu Iru Vasal (1990)

Thats Balachander for you !!

[9/10 · 5 January 2007]

There are so many things that are good about this movie that you wont know which one to start with. First, the story or stories....Two stories with a link, good idea and a nouvelle one at its time.. The acting is wonderful and the characters are well etched. The contrast between the location of the first film ( a silent forest bungalow and a hut and a waterfall) with the second (Namma Chennai Kodambakkam with its noise and crammed houses) is very striking. The dialogues are sharply written and rightly delivered by the actors.

The ending is simple and gives you a sense of "Thats life" . The movie is a good example of how non-formula movies can be made interesting with a surprising cast and no commercial elements. K.B. has given a good, simple and smooth movie with a good message.

Vanaprastham (1999)

A forgotten era !!

[10/10 · 5 January 2007]

Do people view cinema as an art form?...you cannot give a definite YES as an answer.....But, Watch Vanaprastham and you simply cannot resist calling it a wonderful piece of art. The movie belongs to the forgotten era of art that affects you. And the effect is so pleasant and elevating, that the movie is sure to stay with you forever if you can appreciate it. Like a book you will remember for your lifetime, like a painting that you can never erase from your mind, like a song that comes to your head at least once a day, everyday.

The director has blended Kathakali and Indian Mythology into the storyline like milk and honey and the product is a treat to the senses. No words to describe Zakir Hussain's score and Santosh Sivan's camera..They just elevate the movie to a totally different level. The message that Dance is a form of self-expression has been very elegantly and poignantly told in the film, yet, there is a subtlety about every aspect in the movie that gives you something more in each and every frame than what actually is conveyed in each scene. The actors are tailor-made for their roles, with Mohanlal giving an almost flawless performance. He plays the role of Kunhikuttan with the right body language, emotions and expressions. He is impressive in those scenes where his dialogues are few because the actor knows just how to speak with his facial expressions. Suhasini as Subhadra is perfect with her performance.

The movie does not have a narrator yet you can sense a mute voice narrating the life of Kunhikuttan. This is primarily due to the acting and the Background score which deserve a lot of acclamation. After watching the movie you sense a deep heavy feeling which leaves a lasting impression on you. The story can very well be summed up in a line, but it is a lot more. The movie is slow-paced and rightly so because it also tells you that nothing happens suddenly in life. There are always a series of events leading to every minute of your life. And the life of Kunhikuttan is explained thus. At the end, you cannot help but wonder at the poignant performance, the message you never knew was being sent and yet you perceive all this in a span of 2 hours. One of the best movies ever to be made in India !!

Varalaaru (2006)

Well, being really honest

[1/10 · 29 December 2006]

Of all the movies that you could watch, if you choose to watch this movie....i should say that your very unfortunate....The story is crap, the acting nowhere near tolerable and the music not something we'd expect from A.R. Rehman..but its not fair to judge A r rehman with this movie because the music of a movie is to an extent influenced by the story and acting.......I wonder how someone like Ajith can ever be called an actor.....his dialogue delivery is pathetic and its better i don't mention his facial expressions......you'd do yourself a favour by not watching this movie...or rather watch it and educate others on how these kinda movies humiliate the once-enchanting Tamil film industry...Also....i beg the filmmakers not to cast people who are stone heads when it comes to dancing in roles that are supposed to highlight it.....For crying out loud, Ajith can't even dance to those funny dappankuthu songs...how can one tolerate him DANCING BHARATHANATYAM......the thought of him donning the role of a classical dancer would make good dancers of yesteryears turn in their graves.....And watch out for the scenes where Ajith is supposed to be projecting an effeminate side.....Its official ...he's the worst(or is there a worser term for that) thing that can happen to Tamil cinema.........

Hey Ram (2000)

What a movie !!

[10/10 · 29 December 2006]

A truly amazing experience.....One cannot explain the kind of feeling that creeps into your heart at the end of this movie...its a hard-hitting mixture of reality with a very interesting element of fiction thrown in.....every aspect of the movie was breath-taking...the music by the Maestro Ilayaraaja..especially the songs...Nee partha, Isayil thodanguthamma and hey ram.....The BGM completely gels with the movie ..... Coming to the acting, I personally feel this is one of the best movies of almost every actor in the movie..Kamal is his usual splendid self....Watch him become the happy lover, the broken human being, the idealist and finally the old man with wrinkles of experience...the idea of having used colour in the past and b/w in the present is definitely a great concept.....Other than Kamal Haasan, Atul Kulkarni and Rani Mukherjee have given mind-blowing performances....Kulkarni is an incredibly talented actor and one can see the emotion in his eyes that speak most of his dialogues in the movie...Rani mukherjee is the perfect fit for her role of a Bengali teacher and has given a wonderful performance......The movie comes as a kind of rebel in the usual masala Indian movies genre and is a must watch for anyone interested in gaining a wholesome experience....Another feather on India cinema's cap.....