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Reviews
Kochadaiiyaan (2014)
Hardcore Rajinikanth fans will enjoy the film once but even for them revisiting it is nearly impossible.
"Kochadaiiyaan" as a Rajinikanth film has all the elements to satisfy his fans. It has a grand introduction scene, which is followed by an extremely inspiring song, breathtaking stunt sequences, mass appealing dialogues and most importantly the superstar himself in three larger- than-life roles, doing everything that's impossible to do in real life. But "Kochadaiiyaan" as an animated feature, which is made using motion capture technology, fails to live up to the expectations of all those who watch a Rajinikanth film just for the sake of entertainment.
We have a tried-and-tested revenge story. A son has to avenge the murder of his father, who was killed trying to protect the lives of thousands of soldiers of a kingdom. Rajinikanth plays both son and father; Rana and Kochadaiiyaan, respectively.
The problem is not with the film's story because a Rajinikanth film never has a story. It's always about him and what he does on screen to entertain his fans. Sometimes even the most stupid act pulled off by the superstar will make a houseful of audience applaud in merriment. Such moments were missing or were limited in "Kochadaiiyaan", which heavily suffered from creating an emotional connect with the characters.
Every time Rajinikanth and Deepika hugged, you couldn't feel the passion in their romance. It looked as though two cartoon characters were made to romance one another. Because of this even in the most emotional scenes of the film, you feel emotionally disconnected. Several artificial instances such as these make the film boring and the characters lifeless. All this makes you come to the conclusion that the film would've worked wonderfully if it was a live action feature. Come to think of it, "Kochadaiiyaan" would've definitely looked magnificent in live action form than in the half baked animated format that only looks colorful but not legendary.
In layman's terminology, motion capture technology is supposed to recreate real characters as realistic as possible in reel. But most of the characters suffered from identity crisis and you could only identity them from their voices. Actors such as Aadi and Sarath Kumar were the terribly looking animated characters on screen, while the rest such as Nasser, Deepika and Jackie at least had some major references to be related with their real self. The biggest problem with the characters was their eyes, which mostly looked dead. Eyes speak a lot about a person's emotions and because most of the characters had dead eyes, we couldn't build an emotional bond with them.
Rajinikanth was recreated to near perfection. Of course, there were certain issues with some of his physical features but he looked overall satisfying. Most importantly, his mannerisms were intact in the animated format and that was one of highlights of the film and it certainly gave audiences a reason to love the film at regular intervals.
Rahman is the film's biggest saving grace and it's his music and background score that breathes life into the film. The songs looked visually spectacular but their placement sometimes affects the film's narrative. Another highlight of the film was its extremely short running time of 118 minutes. It's a rarity to see such a short Rajinikanth film but that might just work in the favor of "Kochadaiiyaan", which could've irked the audiences with extended running time.
Hardcore Rajinikanth fans will enjoy the film once but even for them revisiting it is nearly impossible.
Afternoon Delight (2013)
"Afternoon Delight" plunges deep into raw, intimate and uncomfortable areas that most films in the same genre would avoid
I'm not married but yet I know for a fact that there's no rulebook to a successful marriage. Nobody knows for sure what will save or end a marriage? The trick or plan that you think will save a marriage may not always work and the most unexpected one might actually help you win over your partner. Sometimes even the dumbest ideas can save a marriage. Focusing on one such dumb idea, Jill Soloway's "Afternoon Delight", is about the story of a couple's marriage that's almost kaput, and if there's anything that could save it, what is it?
Jill could have made one of those cute romantic comedies that we all like to watch so much because in reality, most of our lives are the exact opposite. However, she refrains from the taking the usual path and challenges herself with this sly and rewarding romantic dramedy, sprinkled with occasional humour, that turns out to be a well- intentioned tale of marriage.
In her first leading role, Kathryn Hahn plays Rachel, a suburban housewife who's having problems with her marriage. She hasn't had sex with her husband for, god knows, how long because she has lost count of it. Her marriage is on the brink of collapse when she's offered a dumb idea to visit a strip club with her husband to spice up their marriage.
Rachel convinces her husband Jeff, played by Josh Radnor, to go with her to the strip club, where she's given a lap dance by a 19-year old McKenna, Juno Temple. Following which, Rachel tends to develop a strange feeling for McKenna, and eventually befriends her. And when McKenna doesn't have a place to say, Rachel is kind enough to offer her shelter in her house without even consulting Jeff. But McKenna is not a stripper, but a high end sex worker. How does this impact Rachel, her family and even her friends?
At first, it's tough to understand the relationship between Rachael and McKenna. Did Rachael really care for McKenna when she was homeless, and therefore, she offered her place to say or was it to because she wanted her to spice up her sex life? But it's clearly not the second reason when we see how uncomfortable Rachael feels when she accompanies McKenna to one of her long-term clients. It's only towards the end you realize that Rachael really cared for McKenna but couldn't let her stay with her because her own relationship with her husband was in a mess.
Jill makes a very strong point through the relationship of Rachael and McKenna. She raises the question whether is it acceptable to have a sex worker in your family because you care for her. This is further reiterated in one the scenes when there's a debate about the suitable word to describe McKenna – a sex worker or a prostitute. Otherwise, we have an enjoyable romantic drama with interesting and strong female characters and even better performances that leaves you emotionally uplifting. With a very subtle narrative, Jill addresses domestic issues with unparalleled sensitivity, criticism and wit no debutant filmmaker would dare to attempt.
Although portraying a troubled character, Hahn seemed to have pulled it off with aplomb. I doubt if anyone else could have done justice to her role as much as she did. She is fittingly backed by Juno Temple in her captivating performance of a sex worker. She was so good that sometimes you feel like she is actually one in real life. It's a woman-centric film told from the perspective of a woman, and therefore, men happen to be only making guest appearances in some scenes. Nevertheless, we get a strong performance from Radnor in a role we are so not used to see him in.
"Afternoon Delight" plunges deep into raw, intimate and uncomfortable areas that most films in the same genre would avoid.
Read more reviews at http://movieroundup.in/
Vaayai Moodi Pesavum (2014)
Sometimes brilliant, sometimes contradictory
In his second directorial "Vaayai Moodi Pesavum", Balaji Mohan tells us that if you know when to speak and when not to, then most of our problems are easily resolved. He has a brilliant premise to convince us with exactly what he wants to deliver through the film, which undeniably is a smart romantic-comedy (much better than several films in the same genre in the recent past), with spurts of humour and satire at regular intervals to keep us entertained. It's an almost brilliant film that contradicts itself at several junctures for reasons that are never explained and left to be figured out by the viewer. When an imaginary disease called 'Dumb Flu' plagues the inhabitants of Panimalai, forcing everybody to stop speaking because it aggravates when you do, the fate of a few characters that have issues with communication is tested. The first half of the film, which I think was brilliantly executed, harps on the importance of speaking at the right place, at the right time and at every given opportunity. The course of the events during this half has the spotlight on characters that either struggle to express what they want to or on those who won't stop speaking. It focuses on a writer-turned-housewife who struggles to tell her husband that she wants to write again, a young doctor who can't tell her possessive boyfriend that she doesn't like to be controlled and a school boy who fears telling his parents that he's more passionate about drawing than studies. Interestingly, all the aforementioned characters belong to the same family. Throughout the first half, efforts are made by the director to push these characters to open up and express what they want to. You appreciate this effort because you connect with these characters that are so real that you might find them in your own life. It is in the second half that you feel the film contradicts itself. Contrary to the first half, the characters are made to stop talking because of 'Dumb Flu'. There are absolutely no dialogues (but for some voiceovers) and the narrative style is akin to Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times". The director, who urges us to speak throughout the first half, suddenly asks us to shut up. The director, who said most of our problems are resolved when we sit and discuss, wants us to shut up. Doesn't that contradict the very essence of the film that was built intelligently in the first half? Nevertheless, you don't complain about the film because it dares to address several sensitive issues with a pinch of salt. From how Tamil cinema is being constantly attacked by fringe groups to dirty politicians and politics, Balaji slaps everybody in the face and makes them shut up. Of course, all this is done by striking a perfect balance between humour and satire. Heavily inspired by Woody Allen's style of storytelling, Balaji presents a kind of narrative that Tamil audiences are not used to. Still, they cheer for it because it's creative. He keeps making brief appearances throughout the film in a very funny role of a news reporter, eventually proving how crooked and TRP-oriented the media is in this country. On the acting front, debutant Dulquer Salmaan is a treat to watch. He earns extra brownie points for dubbing in his own voice and speaking flawless Tamil. Nazriya comfortably slips into the shoes of a character so contrary to the ones she has played in the past. The supporting cast featuring Arjun, Abhinav, Vinu, John and others played their respective roles to perfection. Sean Roldan keeps the film alive with his music and knows how to use it as a narrative, especially in the second half that hardly has any dialogues. Tighter editing was required in the second half which becomes a little tedious to sit through due to the slow narrative. To enjoy "Vaayai Moodi Pesavum", just shut up and watch it!
Shuttlecock Boys (2011)
Four friends chase their entrepreneurial dream and turn the impossible into reality
In an industry pioneered by the Khans and the Kapoors, it's very unlikely to see an honest, heartwarming film that can inspire and leave you with a smile. Thanks to the era of rising indie filmmakers such as Q, Sudhish Kamath, Karan Gour and many more we're presented with quality films sans superstars or legends that are capable of touching thousands of hearts, if and only if we support them. Add Hemant Gaba to that list and his debut picture 'Shuttlecock Boys', which not only succeeds in entertaining but presents a sincere message that you may want to embrace.
'Shuttlecock Boys' is a story of every household, so commonly known to us that it instantaneously connects with one and all. The film is about four friends – Gaurav, Manav, Loveleen and Pankaj with a dream to achieve but barely any kind of support. Powered by hope they embark on a journey that will change the course of their lives forever.
The strength of this film lies in its unexaggerated presentation. Hemant as a filmmaker doesn't innovate but leaves his characters to do the magic with their performance. With a plot as simple as you could've ever imagined, SB triumphs with honest storytelling. What I really like about this film is its ability to encompass and bring forth the mirror image of a life most of us are living. The life that we think we are happy with but deep down inside we hate it. This film awakens that part of your life which's been in deep slumber all this time.
Hemant also successfully storms in to the aspirational life of Indian middle class, around which all his characters are sketched. Through the eyes of the four protagonists you see the world we all aspire to see. As a viewer you empathize with the characters and that works in the favor of the film as it keeps you hooked and cheering till the last minute. More importantly, I loved how Hemant used badminton as a backdrop to shape his story. I'm positive when you watch the film you'd love and appreciate his brilliance with respect to this.
If Hemant was the charioteer of this film then his characters were the chariot, and they make this ride a smooth experience with their performance. I don't know if these actors have any acting background but they fit the bill perfectly. They weren't expected to be top class actors because their roles needed them to be just like the way most of us are in life. Another plus point of this film is its music which is exhilarating and adds spark to the film. Kudos to Avinash Baghel, his music elevates the undying attitude and spirit of the film. For most part, it keeps playing like an anthem in the background and breathes life in to the film.
Finally, it all boils down to one man – Hemant Gaba for nurturing this dream of his in to an inspirational feature presentation. The film had its own weak moments but it doesn't matter when the overall output has been beyond satisfaction. In essence; 'Shuttlecock Boys' is a film that keeps hope alive and sends you back home with glee on your face.
P.S: The mention of few indie filmmakers doesn't mean that the others are not worth it. It's just that I'm yet to watch their films and I'm sure they'd have done good. So, please don't hate me for that