Tamil Cinema had History movies as well as period movies but you can easily hand pick them. If you have to take History movies, a few brilliant numbers that strike first are Siraichaalai, directed by Priyadarshan, taking a portion of patriotic struggle in a prison as well as tagging a love story. Also we had many biographies like Bharathi, Periyaar, Iruvar, etc., which again portray about them. If you have to pick real period movies, we have our Hey Raam from our Master Kamal Haasan which was again a research on a truth. In the recent times, we had several 'in-the-name-of-period-movies' like Subramaniapuram and a few others which had very less use of art work but more dependant on Ilayaraja to show case them as a period movie. But Madarasapattinam holds a clear Period tag with appreciable research on Vintage madras.
The story should not be confused as a patriotic movie as marketed or as shown in the trailers. This is purely a romantic story 'PERIOD'. This is a clever take for a period movie. Quite often, when you make a period or a history movie, 99% will fall under patriotism. Yes, even this movie has such scenes but the romance was given more importance and Vijay has clearly conveyed at right situation. August 15, 1947 is THE day for the Indians, but when Paridhi hears about the British will be leaving the town, you could see a sigh! Even in scenes when Indians were eagerly expecting the Independence Day, you could see the lead in search for their love. But, Vijay has also touched many political areas during that time of Madras pretty carefully.
Before I dig the cast, I must appreciate the art director and the whole team's research work for taking us a tour to ancient Madras. The immense hard work in the art direction elevated a big higher with Nirav's magic in the form of camera. Check out the tone of color being used to differentiate Madras from Chennai. Lastly, I saw such a work in Kanchivaram thought it didn't have scope to show the present. Both were sensational throughout the movie. They don't just merely show us the hand pulled vehicles, trams, motor vehicles, etc., but they have concentrated on the tag or the advertisement it carries. Bravo! Adding more to it, they also tried to cover a few political events that happened during that era. We could see Nasser (Wrestling teacher) being an ardent follower of Nethaji, where he still believes that he is alive. And whenever an airplane flies, people started shouting 'kundu poduraanga' to imply the bombing in Madras during 1940s.
Talking about the cast and in particular about the support cast needs a special mention here. Late VMC Haneefa, man, we just lost a brilliant actor! As usual he made us laugh with his remarkable sense of humor and witty dialogues and of course his dialogue delivery. Aarya as Paridhi did a neat role. But the ample scope was put on Amy who carried the movie from the beginning till the end credits. If you know that she dubbed her own voice, she danced, she sang, will you believe? Not just that, her acting was sensational. She did right reactions at right places. The old Amy was magnificent. She had a dignified appearance which she carried very well. Balaji and the other comedian were seriously good in evoking laughter than the so-called Vivek & Vadivelu's irritation screen presence with a separate track for them. The taxi driver did a good role with stressing on donation part again and again. So, the casting was rightly chosen and quite neatly placed by the director.
I seriously had no hopes in the music when I heard GVP. But after listening to tracks pre release time, my hopes were quite decent. I can see maturity in this movie. The love theme was very clever and smart one which elevates the screen. His BGM in other scenes were also quite good and importantly not irritating. First thing that strike me at the cinema hall was the work of the editor Anthony. The screenplay travels from London to Chennai to Madras to Chennai to Madras to London to Chennai. The travel is smooth as a Benz car ride. The connector for the period switch like Sudhesi Mithran to Hindu or the Coovam to the Thames River is top notch! I never felt any jumps in the scene or any disturbance when a switch over is made. Great work in the editing department.
Vijay, the director after remaking scripts has proved that he has got some caliber and stuff. The opening scene seriously made me to think if it's going to be another Titanic but he just erases our thought soon. When you think that he has come to pre interval Lagaan, he comes again and ceases your thought immediately. I am just trying to say that one cannot take these scenes as evidences to equate it to Lagaan or Titanic. Though he still carried Priyadarshan flavor in the movie, I could see a new entry to the group of good film makers.
Verdict - Go for the pleasant romantic ride from Chennai to Madharasapattinam
Review posted @ www.clapsandboos.com
Showing posts with label Arya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arya. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Friday, February 6, 2009
Naan Kadavul - Aham Brahmaasmi
I ain't eligible enough to review this master piece, but as a fan, as a lover of good cinema, I would like to thank Bala for giving this wonderful movie. Just sharing a few of my thoughts about the movie. I will defintely come back with a thesis about the movie after watching more number of times.
I am not gonna talk about the story, as I feel even that will spoil the curiousity of the viewers who haven't seen the movie. Honestly speaking, the movie took three years to release. But the active days involved in the shooting is not all the three years, but it would certainly be a year or so. This proves the amount hard work and home work and research involved in the movie. The only man behind the scene is none other than the great Bala.
Who on earth could make the physically and mentally challenged people to ACT? Who on earth could make the same people to dubb their own voice? HATS OFF is just two simple words to describe the talent and homework he has done. Imagine how he could have caught those physically challenged people from different cities. Ah! man, this thought itself makes me to ask for the director's cut.
He not only describes the lives of the forced beggers, but also exposes their inner character in the form of dark humour. Even though they were forced to beg, they live united teasing amongst themselves. One should witness the dialogue rendered by the beggers especially those sarcastic ones. They keep their knowledge about the news updated. Quite strange, but listening knowledge.
Aarya's pain. Though he doesn't have much screen presence when compared to other cast, he has done a fabulous job. It's again purely because of the mentor who could get what he wanted from Aarya. No doubt the amount of hard work and pain that he has to undergo in order to practise and live like an Aghori. The voice modulation with an arrogance amplitude modulation. The way he inhales dope, chew pan, practise aasanas, fearsome look, brave walk....what not?
Pooja occupying more screen presence is a welcome change and hardly very few directors does this. A few areas of hers could have been cleverly done, but other than that she completely gave us a treat. Special mention to the scene where the Villian beats her and the climax. One should also know that she dubbed her own voice but she could have also sung the songs in the scenes. I predict she could fetch a few laurels to her name.
Editing was not perfect in the movie. Wonder if we need to blame the Censor board or is it because of poor editing? I had to partially accept the fact that the movie has various jump in editing, but later I had to convince that the jump was present in each reel. Probably a different technique being used. But this has affected the continuity of the movie in some places.
Censor is another major contributor in this movie. This guy has earned a bunch full of abuses from most of the audience for each and every censor sound in the movie. Many scenes were trimmed or joined. Had given an 'A' certificate and included those scenes, I would have been even more happier as the movie length would have increased by 15-20 mins.
I was not happy with Arthur Wilson being the cinematographer before watching the movie. I expected Thiru or Rathnavelu to be a part of this master piece. But the first scene showing the banks of Ganges, WITH NO COLOR correction, no light effect and no CG, he has given a natural feeling. If he had given a color correction, I am sure the scenes shot at Kasi would have no meaning. Don't whose idea it was, but it was just a great and clever thought and sensible camera work. Even the dark godown where the beggers were dumped, had a slight light effect which no one could predict it as artificial. The bird eye shot of the Village and the Villian's begger dump area was catchy.
Art direction is yet another area where immense care has been taken to portray the real nature of the place. The temple stair path was amazingly a strange and real feel with the shops and also the waste papers and used bottles and 'Dhonnai' loitered in the path way. I am not sure, if they have shown the real people in Kasi or have they erected sets? But Art direction needs a special credit.
Dialogues were amazingly unique, hard hitting in a few instances, controversial, sarcastic, humourous, powerful. As I mentioned earlier, the dialogues rendered by the beggers were ultimate. Aarya had a few controversial and hard hitting dialogues. They should have also followed the exact rudras and the mantras.
Bala, without Ilayaraja is an incomplete man. I am angry on Bala, that he should have used 'Maadha Un Kovil' song in a demanding scene, which was replaced by some other known earlier track and made the scene to look artificial. But still, his Ramana Maalai could easily move any person. A perfect apt song for the situation and a perfect choice from his Ramana Malai. Madhu Balakrishnan's voice added more energy to the song. The opening song was a perfect for the role he portrayed. I can see lot of heroism in that song, especially for the intro aaasana posture. And the most important part, BGM. As usual, HE rocked the movie. Interestingly, silence was chosen as the BGM and a double base or Sangu or Udukkai to get a goosebump effect among the audience. The climax left me dumbstruck as I was wiping my hands for 15 mins to avoid goosebump.
Last but not least. The man behind all of them, Bala, the dumb guy(with respect) who makes his audience dumb. Creators of tamil cinema, please learn to direct a movie from this GENIUS.
Verdict : Defintely, brilliant movie from the Macho Man Bala!
I am not gonna talk about the story, as I feel even that will spoil the curiousity of the viewers who haven't seen the movie. Honestly speaking, the movie took three years to release. But the active days involved in the shooting is not all the three years, but it would certainly be a year or so. This proves the amount hard work and home work and research involved in the movie. The only man behind the scene is none other than the great Bala.
Who on earth could make the physically and mentally challenged people to ACT? Who on earth could make the same people to dubb their own voice? HATS OFF is just two simple words to describe the talent and homework he has done. Imagine how he could have caught those physically challenged people from different cities. Ah! man, this thought itself makes me to ask for the director's cut.
He not only describes the lives of the forced beggers, but also exposes their inner character in the form of dark humour. Even though they were forced to beg, they live united teasing amongst themselves. One should witness the dialogue rendered by the beggers especially those sarcastic ones. They keep their knowledge about the news updated. Quite strange, but listening knowledge.
Aarya's pain. Though he doesn't have much screen presence when compared to other cast, he has done a fabulous job. It's again purely because of the mentor who could get what he wanted from Aarya. No doubt the amount of hard work and pain that he has to undergo in order to practise and live like an Aghori. The voice modulation with an arrogance amplitude modulation. The way he inhales dope, chew pan, practise aasanas, fearsome look, brave walk....what not?
Pooja occupying more screen presence is a welcome change and hardly very few directors does this. A few areas of hers could have been cleverly done, but other than that she completely gave us a treat. Special mention to the scene where the Villian beats her and the climax. One should also know that she dubbed her own voice but she could have also sung the songs in the scenes. I predict she could fetch a few laurels to her name.
Editing was not perfect in the movie. Wonder if we need to blame the Censor board or is it because of poor editing? I had to partially accept the fact that the movie has various jump in editing, but later I had to convince that the jump was present in each reel. Probably a different technique being used. But this has affected the continuity of the movie in some places.
Censor is another major contributor in this movie. This guy has earned a bunch full of abuses from most of the audience for each and every censor sound in the movie. Many scenes were trimmed or joined. Had given an 'A' certificate and included those scenes, I would have been even more happier as the movie length would have increased by 15-20 mins.
I was not happy with Arthur Wilson being the cinematographer before watching the movie. I expected Thiru or Rathnavelu to be a part of this master piece. But the first scene showing the banks of Ganges, WITH NO COLOR correction, no light effect and no CG, he has given a natural feeling. If he had given a color correction, I am sure the scenes shot at Kasi would have no meaning. Don't whose idea it was, but it was just a great and clever thought and sensible camera work. Even the dark godown where the beggers were dumped, had a slight light effect which no one could predict it as artificial. The bird eye shot of the Village and the Villian's begger dump area was catchy.
Art direction is yet another area where immense care has been taken to portray the real nature of the place. The temple stair path was amazingly a strange and real feel with the shops and also the waste papers and used bottles and 'Dhonnai' loitered in the path way. I am not sure, if they have shown the real people in Kasi or have they erected sets? But Art direction needs a special credit.
Dialogues were amazingly unique, hard hitting in a few instances, controversial, sarcastic, humourous, powerful. As I mentioned earlier, the dialogues rendered by the beggers were ultimate. Aarya had a few controversial and hard hitting dialogues. They should have also followed the exact rudras and the mantras.
Bala, without Ilayaraja is an incomplete man. I am angry on Bala, that he should have used 'Maadha Un Kovil' song in a demanding scene, which was replaced by some other known earlier track and made the scene to look artificial. But still, his Ramana Maalai could easily move any person. A perfect apt song for the situation and a perfect choice from his Ramana Malai. Madhu Balakrishnan's voice added more energy to the song. The opening song was a perfect for the role he portrayed. I can see lot of heroism in that song, especially for the intro aaasana posture. And the most important part, BGM. As usual, HE rocked the movie. Interestingly, silence was chosen as the BGM and a double base or Sangu or Udukkai to get a goosebump effect among the audience. The climax left me dumbstruck as I was wiping my hands for 15 mins to avoid goosebump.
Last but not least. The man behind all of them, Bala, the dumb guy(with respect) who makes his audience dumb. Creators of tamil cinema, please learn to direct a movie from this GENIUS.
Verdict : Defintely, brilliant movie from the Macho Man Bala!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
