Originally Posted by Bipolar
Just by the way, I've just seen the recently released "Billa" with Ajith Kumar in the lead. I haven't seen Rajnikanth's version, so I can't compare the new one to the "original" but I have seen the Bollywood film "Don" with Shah Rukh Khan which "Billa" seems to be "inspired" by.
Well, I thought Ajith's "Billa" was disappointing (apologies to fans of the "Thala").
First, what did I like about the film? Well,
Cinematography - impressive (as compared to most other Tamil films). I think (but I'm not sure) the cameraman behind it was Sreekar Prasad. The colours and the lighting used give the film a "dark" feel, which is quite appropriate for a film about a hunted criminal.
Locations - I think most, if not all, of the movie was filmed in Malaysia. Certainly, the high-rise buildings are visually awe-inspiring, if I'm not mistaken, a first for Kollywood.
Stunts - Well, nothing to blow you away, but the good thing is they weren't overdone (as frequently seems to happen in Shankar's films - "Anniyan" and "Shivaji" were so ridiculously over-the-top I found it irritating).
Costumes/make-up - Not great, but not bad either, to be fair. Seemed inspired very much by "Don" here (and that in turn seemed inspired by "The Matrix" - the full-length black coats theme).
So what did I not like?
Story/screenplay - a movie, first and foremost is about telling a story, and really that is what matters the most. This film had a barely believable (or should I say unbelievable?) story, and the screenplay adds further holes to an already weak plot). I'll give them credit for making it different (if only slightly) from "Don".
Songs - Totally unnecessary (except to cater to the "masses" - sorry if I seem like a snobbish pseud here). Yuvan Shankar Raja is not a bad composer, but the songs in this film have no melody, just rhythm (supposedly what the "youth" want), and they seem to ruin the flow of the rest of the film.
Namitha - I am sorry if you think I'm being harsh, but her very presence in this film (or any other film, for that matter) is a BIG negative. Okay, to be fair to her, if she would lose some weight, and learn to act a little, she would be good. She's not bad looking.
Well, on the whole, I was disappointed because I know that the team could have made a good film, but, owing to box-office considerations, they chose to dumb it down. That is why I am disappointed. Because they didn't make it a better film, even though they clearly knew they could have.
