Kanthaswamy - Review

A movie that took 24 months for the making yielded us a 200 mins end product with huge expectations with a tag of Super Hero, carrying a heavy budget starting from the movie launch to the audio launch. What impression did it leave to the audience??? Here is the review.

Plot : Kanthaswamy just adds its name to the so called high budget movies plot sharing a space. Yes, take from the rich and give it to poor and needy is all about Kanthaswamy. Additionally, it also makes the audience remember what happened during the movie launch where the movie team adopted a village. Well, that message was conveyed or rather tried to convey during the climax of the movie. Eventually that message did not have any support from the screenplay of the movie.

Never a movie has given a sigh at the initial scene, but Kanthaswamy just broke that record. In all the movies that shared this plot, they would need some myth or an element to service the needy, Kanthaswamy uses the myth that happens in a temple and uses that as a medium of communication. Didn't it remind you the Anniyan website concept? Well the latter had a stylish introduction, but the way the so called Super Hero tagged Kanthaswamy's introduction scene is all enough to judge the quality of making and the strong basement for the plot. This could probably be the ugliest way to portray a Super Hero Introduction scene.

One way Kanthaswamy being a *different* from the other movies is that the director's justification for the Super Hero. He uses a team work behind the Super Hero theme to make the Super Hero's action *a possible* thing in reality. I was surprised to see the director's creative idea of using Tape Recorder to play Kanthaswamy BGM during the action sequences. But I never expected him to be so honest that literally he even used *clapping hands* as a re recording. He should have left that to the audience to decide, isn't it? One couldn't concentrate on the stunts rather everyone were focussing on the *making of the stunts* with ropes, pulleys, tape recorders, remote control, wireless, microphones, etc., But the director has given a fantastic justification to the role that he has given for each individual in the team in their flashback scene. He connects what they been doing in the past to the corresponding role alloted to them in the team. Bravo!!!

Coming to the interesting casting department. Except for Prabhu and Krishna to an extent, rest of the cast, including the Super Hero himself was so ridiculous. One should at least what the strength of the artist and use him appropriately for the movie. The reason why I am stressing hard on this is because Vikram is known for this acting skill and I really wonder why is he being used a doll in this movie where he had absolutely *no scope of acting*. Alas! he didn't even look good in this movie, he look very old in the movie. He lost his manliness in the movie. To put it simple, for such a character, he could have chosen anyone else other than Vikram, who had a lot of potential and has a good acting talent.
Shriya, a glam doll, the only saving soul in the movie for a group of audience who paid a lump amount for their ticket. Well, even then she irritates with her lip sync both when rendering dialogues as well as for the songs. But wonder why the producer who could lavishly spent for the making of the movie, couldn't be lenient for her wardrobe? Another stunning director's touch is bringing in each and every person into the cast and finally he himself emerged as CBI officer helping the Super Hero. We are set with different suprises by the director breaking the suspense often leaving us in Cloud nine.
Can anyone think of Alex the magician, in a DON getup? That's the extreme that director can go. It was a rib tickling comedy to see him donning a DON, that too an Internation Don with a funny character name *Mexican Pichumani*.
Prabhu has done a decent job and Krishna, the telugu actor comes as the Head of the CBI department was different for his voice and I thought he did a fair job too. Other casts that formed the team were literally doing the job of the crew members behind the scenes and nothing much scope for them showcase.

Coming to the technical department, where one would at least expect the movie to be rich and get a satisfaction in this area. The man behind the camera work, Ekaambaram, he was literally a night mare in the movie. Too much color correction literraly screwed our eyes. Even the natural things which should look natural were added colors to make it look very artificial. The mexican episode was literally a Disovery Travel & Living episode. One should wipe off the shade that shooting a movie in the helicopter doesn't make him a big shot and doesn't differentiate from others. Whereever he shoots, enormous amount of color correction was used which eventually made it look like one Eastman color movie in some parts.

Then comes the editor who shares another space in the movie adding salt to the wound. Abdrupt editing with shaky scenes left nothing but irritation. Fade In - Fade Out technique was over used in this movie to the core that too for the location title card. Gosh, this is the first time I am seeing a FI-FO technology being used in this area. Overall the editing wasn't smooth in all areas and it was really disturbing especially in the stunts sequence and in the initial scenes.

DSP, the music director, with sheer expectation of the movie, the songs were overrated and in the end became a hit. But the visualization of the songs were poorly picturized and as usual in Tamil Cinema, the songs were placed just for the sake of it with no proper reasons. Again the item number satisfied a set of audience because of Mumaith Khan. But Shirya's dance in Allega song was good though. Other songs weren't that great because of poor picturisation. BGM was decent enough for the movie but the arti numbers for Super Hero theme was like a rhyme though.

Now comes the Captain of the movie, Susi Ganesan. While playing the title card, I was amused with the way he used his name for Story, Screenplay, Dialogue and Direction. I wondered why it he scattered the credits, but the clever director wants the audience to realize that the story, screenplay, dialogue and direction play a vital role and we need to analyse them separately is what a clear picture left by the director. His creativity is very evident from the way he portrayed the Super Hero by stoping the critics often cribbing that the movie has no logic. Susi Ganesan comes with a strong FULL STOP for all the cribbing and has shown bravely the making of the action sequences. He draws a line between commercialism and realism and heroism and what else? Another area in which the audience patience was tested to the core is a dialogue conversation between Vikram and Shriya at his office. There would be a Q & A session between them that has seriously tested the audience to the core. What comes next to the scene is something extra ordinary. Fine, the director knew that the running length of the movie is big but still adamant because of his path breaking suspense spoilers at regular intervals. But the director really forgot that the normal interval for a movie should come in 90 mins. Adding to that, the master himself has casted in the movie in one of the important role when the movie was showing dull. He comes for a short span of time but makes us speak for hours.

To be honest, with a producer like Dhanu who is ready to spend money with no hesitation, I think Susi Ganesan failed to capitalize and misused his role in the movie.

Verdict : Spend the money for the needy instead of buying for this movie (Message of the movie)

Sakkarakatti - A Terrific Masterpiece

Please be patient enough to read the entire review.
From the makers of Kakka Kakka, Aalavandhan, Punnagai Poove. Here comes one of the greatest movie ever made in the history of Tamil Cinema, oops, in the history of World Cinema. For those who have seen this movie, ALL I ASK IS ONE QUESTION. WHAT THE HELL IS THE STORY? Or does something like that exist in this movie. I should refrain using the term movie to address Sakkarakatti, but alas! I have left with no other synonym.
Alright, on a serious note. Let me begin my review with serious apology whose critics were bad namely, Ajith's Aalwar, Vijay's Udhaya, Rajini's Baba, Kamal's Mumbai Express, Vikram's Vinnukum Mannukum, Surya's Sri, Madhavan's Ennavale, Jayam Ravi's Idhaya Thirudan, Vishal's Sathyam, Dhanush's Dreams, Simbhu's Alai and last but not the least JKR's Kaanal Neer. These above mentioned movies are rocker and stunner.
I seriously had a nice intention that the movie will be good after watching the credits and initial sequences. But as soon as the initial childhood scenes started to stretch, started an itching sensation. Apparantly I noticed the credits stating Graphics Producer as Soundarya Rajnikanth. She has almost lived as an additional character in the movie. She is certainly THE woman who can make Hollywood to peep into our movies. The initial song, was good to listen and was comical throughout with comical scenes. Agreed, may be because of children song, it's ok with the graphics part bringing Alauddin. Then the story, oops, then it moves to the younger current generation.
Hero - Love at first sight
Heroine - Love at 18th sight
As usual some remarkable coincidence ignites love between the couple. At this juncture, if we dont have a duet, arent we committing a crime? [:O] Chinnama Chillakkama sollu sollu sollu comes on the way [:d]. Ocher Studios has tried to prove that Indian cinema, especially Tamil Cinema can compete to any Special effects movie in the world. In order to prove that, Ocher studios has taken a tour and demonstrated us the art of CG. In just one song, we have overcome, Mummy, Vanheilsing, Matrix CGs. Believe me, she received a standing ovation for her CG. Then comes the twist in the tale. Another heroine is being introduces as the hero relative.
Director has left the audience no clue to judge or predict what could be the next move. No one can predict that the second heroine Vedhika will fall in love with the hero. Great great direction and ultra unpredictable screenplay. One should also note that in between these romantic sequences, there is a parallel comedy track running beside which has turned out to be year's best comedy liner.
NOW, this is the place where the director excels or differentiate from the other great directors. INTERMISSION. I guess this is first time in Indian Cinema. It shows the director is trying to connect Tamil Cinema with Hollywood Cinema. And any guess for the director's education. He did his course in Film Direction in the USA. Do you guys remember the famous one liner [b]"MA MA Philosophy Philosophy"[/b]. This one liner will be apt for the movie. And you need to note that the audience has witnessed just two songs in the first half. Still 4 rocking visuals are pending. As soon as the play starts, Marudhaani...Marudhaani...again Soundarya rajnikanth scores here too. She wanted everyone in the world to show what a CG should actually look like and how important it is to have CG which is very much coincide and correlate to the movie. Man! TC is gifted to have such a tremendous technician.
Now what? Hero and the heroine get united after a small misunderstanding because of the second heroine. Now again they will split. We were literally expecting another interval. But again the director failed that audience cannot predict his movie. MA Philosophy. Now another twist is that, they again unite, but with the second heroine, Vedhika. WOW, shouldnt we expect another CG. This is the only time where the audience were able to predict the movie. And likewise, Soundarya is proving that we are the best in CG with each and every song given to her. In this song, Miss You da, she has taken everyone to New York City Night Effects, with her splendid CG. I seriously has to watch Matrix again to check if that movie can be compared anywhere closer to Sakkarakatti CG. Quite a tough task indeed.
After this song, again they seperate because of another misunderstanding. How many interval expectation? [:o]. This time the hero plans to let Vedhika to go and speak his lover. Hence he plans to goto Vedhika's house. Just look at the scene carefully, it's night, dark, he silently jumps the wall and enters her garden, hurdle over a few obstacle in a more cunning way and FINALLY PRESSES THE CALLING BELL. Another standing ovation. When Vedhika opens the door, she expresses her love in her eyes and falls over him. Suddenly Helicopters flying high, reporters swarming her house. Everyone in the theatre in a moment thought if someother movie is being played. There stands our director, who made the scene as the hero's Dream. MA Philosophy. A few people literally fell down. Do we call this as ROTFL [:o]?
And the much awaited song of the century, Taxi Taxi...taxi taxi arrives with a heated meter. The only song where Ocher has less work to spoil this as well. But good (only good thing) that this song has shaped visually well. But we did not get a once more for this song[:(]. After which I couldnt watch the movie till the climax as audience started to scream as they were disappointed because they did not play once more for the Taxi song. Hence, in the violent atmosphere, we hardly hear anything, and decided to walk out of the theatre. I am still in deep sorrow as I was unable to watch the climax where there could have been another twist. [:(][:(][:(]
Verdict : Kalaa Prabhu (Director) has proved he is apt for the one liner, M.A Philosophy
Evaanuchum indha padatha paartheenga na, avangalukku sila vachitaarean.