Film / Documentary - Recently watched & worthy of some discussion

[HonestRaj]

except mokkai songs nan edhayum oatti parkka matten.. ella scenum parthuduven.. i feel 2 hrs should be okay.. 1 hr either side of interval.. adhu kooda illaina padam parkkura effect'eh irukkadhu... kadaisiyila andha kaalathula DD channel crazy mohan drama madhiri 1 hr irundhale podhumnu solveenga
oru seasonal example solren... 20-20'ye oru madhiri adjust pannikkalam.. adhulayum 10-10, 15-15'nu vandha super'nu solveengala?

[HonestRaj]

sari, will you choose between a badam milk presented in a pure form but say in a small cup and a badam milk that is prepared from some essence and watered milk and given in a big glass just because you are paying more? Quantity matters............but Quality beats everything else...... when quality dips, then there is a compromise made

badam milk'um cinemavum onna?

neenga ellam solradhai partha verum trailer podhum padam vendam'nu solveengalo... ippathan ella trailer'um semathiyana quality'la tharrangale..

appo youtube'la irukkura 3 short film eduthu oru show theater'la oattuna parpeengala? similar to KB's oru veedu iru vaasal

[littlemaster1982]

sari, will you choose between a badam milk presented in a pure form but say in a small cup and a badam milk that is prepared from some essence and watered milk and given in a big glass just because you are paying more? Quantity matters............but Quality beats everything else...... when quality dips, then there is a compromise made

I have heard audience complaining about the shorter duration of movies - "Ennada 1.45 mani nerathula padam mudinjuduchu" I'm with Honestraj here. 2-2:15 hours is the sweet spot.

[Russellyhd]

3 mani neram oodra sivaji, enthiran padam'na naama paarkkaliya.. BB aagaliya.. ?

[mappi]

I don't know who sets the framework or grammar for a movie

That's an interesting question - "who sets the framework or grammar for a movie"
My answer : WE, the audience.

Normaly, from what I see (limited experience), its set by the culture of a soceity, and the understanding hand of the art, I mean cinema as an art. Just like in a theatre play, a adaptation of a story to the screen is split into 3 part, where ACT 1 introduces the characters, ACT2 takes a deeper look at the plot, ACT3 the ending. Any movie is bound inside this. Now the beauty is how the film makers try to juggle with it. Take Mr. Nolan, in his attempt Memento, he smashed this rule. There are several others who try from time to time to shatter such pattern, but mostly a film consits of this framework, in whichever way you look at it.

In TFI, it has never changed, except for a few films. Our movies always flow in the same way, and we seem to like it that way. But there are few minor changes that occupy our films from time to time, the major one easily noticable in the current generation films is the Interval Block. Inbetween their Act2, they churn up something interesting to get a hold on you and then continue the same way. Its just the same magic trick done with a different costume. Hightime they realise, its not the costume that matters, but the magic trick.

A runtime of a movie should not affect the viewership. If it does, then its not a good movie. We often look upon Hollywood movies, but fail to note that there are songs in it too, just that they are hiding behind the naration. We are the only industry who are keeping this genre alive, and slowly its getting an effective reponse. The foreign movies have long back left behind Musical and took more of a Realism path. After all a movie is someone's dream, and thats exactly what you see in TFI. Slowly the table is spinning, movies like One Million Arm or Annie (yet to release Jamie Foxx starrer) are a clue how our industry is been eyed upon. In the recent times, our industry has become one of the most looked upon. Another thing is that, 90mins runtime died in the 90s. Now, its more than 120mins, and some films like LotR or Wallstreen wolves run for more than 180mins. And it deeply depends on audience likeness - give me a Harry Potter or LotR, you gonna get a big Nah, but try "RocknRolla" or "Big Nothing", you can see me getting quite excited. So basically its the genre that matters to an individual likeness. If you did not like a particualr film, its basically you do not or cannot appreciate its genre, like how people walk away from Slasher Movies. I simply love them and the latest one I enjoyed was 'No One Lives' (don't see it if you don't like blood bath).

It is indeed very good that the new film makers in TFI are exploring & exploiting film genres, rather than trying to fill the pot by borrowing ideas that were already used and enjoyed by audience. Its been a rule for a while that if a pattern in a film worked well with the audience, the next decade we are going to see only such films. Post Pizza, the vision is slowly changing, where the exploration part is activated. We are getting a chance to watch different & effective attempts that is making an impact both on the viewership as well as to the industry. Just like the films, the audience should also get modified. They should look more deep into genres and pick up a film of their interest.

Film Noir, coined as Black Humour and sometimes addresses as Dark Comedy, is becoming a favourite genre for our upcoming Film Makers. Its basically because it gives them liberty and new areas to explore. Its not like a Melodrama thats been churned out in every Friday release. A film noir is a peculiar genre, where you exploit social as well as "lets-not-talk-about-it" topics. "Déja Dead" (picked the title of Kathy Reichs Novel), Déja Dead is a favorite dish for this genre, where its comicaly presented along with the social problems in a specific circle. Dark Comedy does not wish to come out, but goes in circle inside its circle, revisiting every single space as many times as it wants. It can introduce several techniques, as there is no law governing it. A best film to start with is "À bout de souffle" (Breathless, 1960), which used natural light and hand held camera. A effective screen writing can do wonders to this genre. The one that comes to mind now is Magalir Mattum - how the working class women social life is mixed with what they should not do but how they do it - is one of the best film noir from our TFI. But just compare it with the recent ones like Damaal Dumeel, its amazing to see how far and wonderfully we have travelled.

A film noir basically has a hair-line plot, and sometimes it does not care about it at all. Its the sub-plots that gives it life. You can have as many parallel things happening, all you have to do is, make them meet. So a one-line is streched out of propotion using limited characters & surroundings. The problem is that we don't look at movies wrt to their genres, but still watch them for the reputed participants. Many movies have proved us wrong, but still we don't wish to shed down this attitude. Another beauty of this genre are the accents and the dialogues. It captures the most deep parts of a soceity and give us a enlarged feel of walking around with the characters.

Continuing the grammar part, basically we are not ready to accept any other genres except the ones we are familiar with. But time and again we are proved wrong when WAR, EPIC & Sci-Fi are getting massive response. Even re-releases of Classic are doing good. But we have an another attitude, we don't call movies as Classic, we call them OLD just after its week's release itself. And the cult in our vocabulary is a Block Buster film. Naturally, the film makers tends to give us more of that, as its working just fine. Normally we should not complain, as we are getting what we really want ! To break it, the audience should and must opt for not different movies, but different genre movies.

Basically WE are the ones who are setting the trend by accepting a filmwork.

[rsubras]

I dont think "We" should be blamed for that, if given a choice there is a considerable section of audience among "We" (with potential to make a film commercial success) who are ready to embrace trend-breaking movies. Padaiyappa, Enthiran et.al should not be shown as examples to justify the length of the movie, all I (and some friends seem to agree) am trying to tell is if you are able to sustain the interest of the audience, have the capability to get soothing / lilting / enjoyable music for your songs, then even 5 or 6 hr movies will be nice to have... but when you are building on a concept, a successful plot that worked as a short story / drama / short film, and you dont have sufficient (or efficient) resources to give a compelling screenplay that maintains interest through out the entire movie or good songs or interesting fights, then why force upon yourself to add elements just for the sake of adding and test the patience of audiences

Several movies when transforming from stage / books to movies fails to click with audiences for the very same reason I believe

[rsubras]

badam milk'um cinemavum onna?

neenga ellam solradhai partha verum trailer podhum padam vendam'nu solveengalo... ippathan ella trailer'um semathiyana quality'la tharrangale..

appo youtube'la irukkura 3 short film eduthu oru show theater'la oattuna parpeengala? similar to KB's oru veedu iru vaasal

Refer my earlier post for the badam milk analogy.......... core ingredient (badam + pure milk + flavor) is the story / theme.... athula quantity ah increase panrennu thevai illatha, taste ah kuraikkara items add pannina ultimate product will go waste... of course i agree that there is a quantity that gets you feel satiated.... but it varies nu solla varen... 3 short film eduthu oru show theatre la ottuna naan paarpeno maateno, there would be an audience for it...... if those movies are worth it.......... 10-15 songs in a film vachum cassettes vanthuttu irunthathu...athu kurainju innaikku singles nu solli ore song ah vachum cd release panni athukku oru music release function vachu athaiyum oru trend aakuraanga..illaiya....had it been 4 years ago, we might have frowned upon such a suggestion..,but today it is one type of trend (esp for yuvan's / simbu's films) so it requires quality and the right kind of marketing to achieve this.......

[mappi]

rsubras,

By saying WE, the audience were/are not blamed. The question was "who" and that WE, it was my reply. To make it much clear, firstly I would say, I am with HR & LM. Yes, a feature film should have a duration anywhere near 150mins. More than that is a bonus, and I welcome it too. But that is not a rule to be followed and as I had mentioned "the pot should not be filled" just for the sake of it. Here I think we both are on the same boat.

Its very important for a film maker to tune his story and adapt it to the screen with a task of connecting his work with the audience.

Now there are 2 reasons for it to bomb. 1/ the film maker is incompetant. 2/ The audience were not prepared or just choose a movie that does not interest them. Both do effect the runtime of the film, where the blame does not point the runtime but either of the above stated reasons.

So if you take genres, as you would have already known, there are not many which flies around in TFI. It does not mean that they were not tried, but the acceptence factor is a big influence and a motivation for a film maker to work on it further. Thats what I meant while mentioning "Basically WE are the ones who are setting the trend by accepting a filmwork". Let me take some exemples, just some varied ones that comes to my mind :

1/ Alavandhan : 3 = Psycological Thrillers
Neither Alavandhan was accepted, nor, after several years the film 3. So no film maker with an idea will get a chance to revisit this zone. This enters the 2nd reason - audience are still not prepared.

2/ Gritty Gangster - Billa 2
I am aware that some will be laughing at me, but Billa 2 is a cult movie. The violence was pure and raw. Plus the beauty is the way the story flows tickling the Part 1, which the audience failed to notice or appreciate. Moreover they were not interested to know more about Billa character in a prequel. Now, when it comes to Bourne Series, they were very much attentive to what was happening. So here is where the problem arises when the audience chose to be partial. Here again the 2nd reason is effective, the genre did not appeal to the audience.

3/ Vikram / (Vetri Vizha) / Vishwaroopam
Now you will see where I am heading. These Spy-Thrillers have traveled a lot and finally have reached the acceptance state. Don't tell me its the Kamal Factor, its more than that. Vikram is a cult-classic, one of my favorite movies, and I am still waiting for a visionary film maker to see its potential and remake it. And the audience response for Vishwaroopam was enorme. So Spy-Thillers can get an accepted space amoung audience and this genre can do wonders if handled properly and not like Ek Tha Tiger. We should explore more on an international territories and stop accepting those involving a particular neighbouring county as International (The same misconception that I had mentioned while talking about Classic/Cult).

The Film Noirs that are coming up today, will not engage a certain set of audience, but once a preferable amount of such genres start to float around, slowly the previous ones will get a cult status or some even go into classic category. It all depends on how much the gates are opened, and by the look of the trend set by the audience by welcoming few new genres into TFI, we are looking at a very healthy path. Same with Mysteries - Thegidi. The list goes on, the ones thru which we have sent a message to Film Makers.

Padayappa / Enthiran
Not as a Rajini Fan, but as a film buff, I will not eliminate these 2 movies. Why this partiality ? Eventhough I accept there was nothing new in Padayappa, its amazing to see & read the Rajini Factor doing magic. Its a chapter in TFI, that should not be followed but understood and implemented. Raising Stars should not do a ditto job, but see the big picture and adapt it to their potential.
Enthiran is in a different league. If it was a story of 2 brothers falling in love with the same girl ... I allow you to finish my sentence. But Enthiran is a Sci-Fi and more such films should come up as people are liking it. Sci-Fi are ideas, a vision. We are technology slaves, why not explore it more. But trust me, all that we can come up with is 2 i-phones falling in love. Romance is our favourite plat de jour, every day, each day ! This is where the songs do a spoil sport, and I wish it gets stopped at some point. Lets start with the Kuthu Pattu, the one that come just before the climax. Here is a straight exemple why its placed there, just because the audience simply like it ! One film or 2 was interesting, but not in each & every film ! Reject it, the message will be received and you are well set to sail smooth. And thats on a personel note, no offense to the ones who love Kuthu Pattu. I can live thru the 5 minutes song sequence and wait to watch the climax, no problem.

Short Films
Short Films wlill never get a theatrical release as its runs less than 20 minutes. If you include 3 short films and draw a Feature film, why not. This was tried, but the problem was the audience were detached. Repeat : "Its very important for a film maker to tune his story and adapt it to the screen with a task of connecting his work with the audience." RGV tried, a bit more to keep us engaged with his 6 Horror stories stuck togehter and dragging the audience desperately to a lousy finale, trying miserably to connect the stories. Boom. So such attempts will not work, unless the theme of all the 3 short films are in allingnment including the naration. That was tried out too, but only for screening purpose where 3 film makers joined hands and made a feature film including 3 short stories happening in Bombay.

Summary
Any one liner can be made into a short film or feature film, just that the film maker must have original ideas and a vision on the task on hand. Actually its his job. Thats one hand. The audience, WE, should act responsibly by choosing a film and rightly sending messages to the development camp by not being partial. Thats another hand. When in accordnece and struck together it becomes the clap of sucess irrespective to the runtime or songs in it.

Good films Will Survive - Quentin Tarantino.

[k_vanan]

Best -Yaamiruke Bayame- one of best movie of the year.

Worst- vallavanuku pullum ayutham

[HonestRaj]

ennamo yedho
- another blade
- gautham karthik.... acting'na kilo enna vilai range