Film / Documentary - Recently watched & worthy of some discussion

[NOV]

Why smaller films are much better than the run of the mill big movies...

[HonestRaj]

RAATTINAM

first 10 mins parthaen.. nalla irukkum / parkkumpadiya irukkum'nu ninaikkiren..
vera yarum parkkanumnu ninaichirundha.. parthuttu sollunga

[interz]

Mirattal - padam paarka koodathu endradhukkaghava intha title?

A remake of a telugu movie, but not every telugu movies has to be remade into tamils, although there has been some good in between like Jeyam, M kumaran son of mahalakshmi, Something Something, Santhosh Subramaniam.

Vinay looks out of place as an action star. Heroine is looking like a clone of Sheryl Brinto. Why didnt they hire sheryl Brinto instead of going all the way to kannada for a heroine? Santhanam ...a bit dissapointing, but as per tradition Santhanam will have a beer drinking scene with hero. Prabhu has very little to doo same with "Ghajini" villain cant rem his name.

I watched the movie my self because of the "S factor", not Shankar but Santhanam. He has too many movies in his hand IMO, he should have choose less and give his team opportunity to come with good comedy dialogues. Factu factu factu factu.

[vithagan]

RAATTINAM

first 10 mins parthaen.. nalla irukkum / parkkumpadiya irukkum'nu ninaikkiren..
vera yarum parkkanumnu ninaichirundha.. parthuttu sollunga

IMO definitely you can give a try. Not bad, actually its good I watched with zero expectations.

[groucho070]

Happened to wake up at 4AM unexpectedly and settled for Indru Nee Naalai Naan, Directed by "Major", as he credits himself in the titles. Remember vividly from Doordarshan days - what I remember is some decent songs, some funny business between Sivagumar and Latchumi, and vaguely understandable adultery. Remember LOL mostly - even at that age, Sivakumar's LOL potential was well recognised and appreciated. Man's a (unintentional) LOL legend.

Watching it again, there's a decent semblance of a knot and potential in the theme and screenplay(by "Major" himself). Theme and the screenplay is quite bold. Right from the moment Sivagumaar(in an awful performance) sizes up Lakshmi, ostensibly as a prospective bride for his foster brother Jaishankar to the frustrated momens of Lakshmi neglected by husband Jai for long stretches of the movie(Jai in a subtle performance hints at impotence brilliantly, and even the screenplay-dialogues catch this aspect very very well without being explicit), and the eventual bursting of the dam of feelings between Lakshmi and Sivagumaar on a cliched rainy night post Jai's death.

The film is bold even for now wherein we would refuse to acknowledge the dynamics of the aNNi-kozhundhan relationship as dictated by the circumstances of this story.
Lakshmi, tailormade for the role, is very good and Jaishankar, in an insignificant role, does exactly what the role requires in a subtle performance that is sure to miss appreciation for the weight it adds to the story.
But Sivagumaar, central to the movie, destroys it all with a laughable performance right down to the climax, which is chillingly individualistic without bowing to the stndard issue "living for the children", which is what I expected even in this viewing, having forgotten the individualistic decision of Lakshmi, betrayed by fate all her life, takes, steadfastly refusing to embrace the noble, idealistic, "bringing up sivagumaar's children with Sulakshana" kind of climax a standard issue tamil film even of these times is expected to give.

Coupled with all these dynamics, and the dynamic of Jai being busy with all his party activities, the partymen-Jai relationship and screenplay contrivances all point to a Kerala influence.

I remember the titles said "kadhai - T A Balan". Sounds like a Malayalam original to me.

I am sure the Malayalam original with any competent Mallu lead actor would be a brilliant mine of subtext.

Lastly, the reason I sat through this till 7AM - ofcourse, Raja dispenses this unworthy vehicle with backbone-enabling songs and BGM, firmly keeping the film from collapsing right until the climax when Sivagumaar finally collapses the film after 3 hrs of single handed effort, with his "innaikkkkuuaaau neeeeeee naaaaaaalaikku naan".

The songs are situational and sit well on the movie - mottu vitta mullai chedi captures several dynamics from Sulakshana's freshly blossomed pregnancy celebration, Lakshmi fighting her feelings of happines for friend sulakshana and Sivagumaar(whom she had mistaken for her bridegroom in her pelli choopulu earlier), Jai very subtly excusing himself from the scene when Lakshmi, in the second stanza talks about her vaaliba vayasu feelings remaining unrequited.

Thaazhamboove kannurangu is a racy thaalattu(ivlo forceA paadina kozhandhai epdi thoongum) but the kozhandhai in question faces a life full of such forceful events destined to end in tragedy so perhaps it is apt.

Kaangeyam kaalaigale is suitably rumbunctious.

And then of course, the coup de grace of the movie - Pon Vaanam Panneer thoovudhu, the one reason why I kept awake till the end of the movie.

adhu sari, why this big a write up for this movie? I am just feeling generous and more importantly, speculating that there is a malayalam original. Can anyone point out? Would make a good movie with a better perfomer in place of Sivakumar, and a better director than "major" - Mammootty and Sethumadhavan perhaps?

Good post, plum. munboru samayam intha torture-A pArthEn....as you said, good subject, totally spoiled by the lead actor.

[groucho070]

Watched first hour of Venggayam (scheduled to watch something else at 10pm), looked good. The actors are all good, only the romance angle slowed things down. Some really good dialogues, like:

random guy: sAmi kumbudula?
The cop: ippOthan kumbudutten
random guy: netthiyila neeru illa.
the cop: (pissed off) un mandaiyila moola illa, ippO kEttEnA?

there are moments when dialogues like this whizz by. Wished had watched it in full.

[NOV]

I thot that the romance was a hindrance too... but in the end, all are tied up.
I have seen the cop in some other movie...

[groucho070]

yeah, yeah, pArthurukEn, can't remember which one...

[groucho070]

Interesting revelation here, like who the director is:
http://www.chennaiforums.com/movies-...am-review.html

[NOV]

looks and feels like an amateur production... but strong message...

Interesting revelation here, like who the director is:

(former assistant to Velu Prabhakaran)