Movie Review – Sarpatta Parambarai

A rare, rooted sports drama

For some unknown reason I was never intrigued to watch the movie ever since its release. I was of the opinion, “what differently can be done in a sports drama?” Even though the boxing track was like how any boxing film would be, where you’ll rise from rags, go down a bit and again rise. Pa. Ranjith, the master that he is, the way he blends an almost never heard of boxing circle from yesteryear Madras, with a bit of politics infused as period flick, makes it an intriguing watch.

Unfortunately, due to ‘Raging Bull’, any other film feels meek. Such is its legacy. Plus ‘Raging Bull’ is like a complete package, a man’s journey through his boxing life. None can replicate what Scorsese does with a character and the beauty is almost, if not all, characters end up in a sorry miserable state. After all the highs we experience, it feels like you’re in death bed and the eventual is going to happen. I thought when Arya loses the match, the director would take the film in such a way, but unfortunately, he gets his six pack back in a song and wins the title.

I’m not against a character or the lead finally succeeding in a boxing film. But its much more than a sports/boxing film. The way the characters were build around the lead and the lead not standing out from the rest, rarely happens in such a movie. If Vikram had acted in one such movie, none of the characters would be visible. In a way, Arya’s not so dynamic screen space paves the way to make this a film which we can relate to. There were lot of emotional scenes which could have been better performed. In fact, Arya’s ‘Magamuni’ was better acted than this, one which he’s not known for. But the remaining characters, each one of them were gem. Everyone was highlighting Dancing Rose to have acted incredibly well, may be people were wooed by how his character was written. My favorite would be John Vijay. He was just brilliant as Daddy. In fact, it was superb selection to cast him in that role. Santhosh Prathap too fitted the role to the tee as an opposition sidekick. Wonder how Kalaiyarasan acts so well just in Pa. Ranjith’s film.

Wish Ranjith had taken another step closer to reality and had lean boxers, juts like the end credit shows. For some reason, may be because of the period setting and unfamiliar terrain, I was reminded of ‘Boogie Nights’. Of course, ‘Boogie Nights’ is just perfect, but this film gives that feel. Ranjith doesn’t explore much and get us into the world like ‘Subramaniapuram’ does, by far the best period film in Tamil, still it gives us a feel of an unfamiliar terrain, which was mostly brushed aside. If it had lean boxers and Kabilan (Arya) going down the dumps in the second half, it could have been a far greater movie than this. What a surprise it would have been if it was a first half sports film and second half personal film. I certainly wouldn’t have wanted him to become don and inspire the area but if he had gone down as an unidentified man and had got to live with it, it’d have been a far greater and impactful movie.

Love the way how Mariyamma (Dushara Vijayan) puts things into perspective in Kabilan’s head. About why losing is not such a big deal, how violence is of no use etc. Love the way how Ranjith’s female characters are always strong but not rebellious just for the sake of it. He does it so organically, as if its not a thing. Women don’t coy in Ranjith’s movie but that’s the point that he wants to highlight, it’s just the way he writes. Also, the anti-violence track was superbly handled. Arya looks the weakest when he’s bashing thugs, how beautiful isn’t it.

The film ends in a positive way with everyone uniting. That was done wonderfully as well as organically too. Even though his wife hates him when he’s a goon, it’s not that she always shouts, she smiles when she gets gold. Same with his friend Vetri (Kalaiyarasan), in fact that’s the best character written. He oscillates here and there. He wants to use Kabilan to become big and go against his dad Rangan (Pasupathy) and at the same time doesn’t want to lose Kabilan too. It was a beautifully written love hate relationship. We all have one such friend like him. Even though the film ends up in predictable lines, it does guarantee for a compelling watch.

Movie Review – Magamuni

Masterclass

I went in with a lot of expectations for the movie because I loved Mouna Guru. That one dialogue where Arulnidhi tells her mom that his sister is using her just like ayah is epic. There are so many honest dialogues/conversations in the movie but that one dialogue was brutally honest, takes you back a step. It was like how when I first listened ‘Girlfriend’ song, I was not sure whether I could sing out loud at home or not, but when my younger sister did, I was like okay, no big deal. Similarly, I didn’t know how to react for ‘Varaaru Varaaru’ song in ‘Em Magan’ (I prefer to call it with the original title ‘Emtan Magan’) because my dad has constantly talked about respect to elders. But when he himself enjoyed the song I was relieved. Third and the tensest movie scene for me was the confrontation of Dhanush with his father after he comes home late night, drunk. This type of confrontations is quite usual between my dad and I, only that I wouldn’t be drunk at that time and wouldn’t have stolen money, but that scene was quite tense which my dad seemed to have liked so I was okay to enjoy it. Santhakumar is a type of director who uses this language in his film making.

The best part of the movie was the moments where audience were not sure whether to clap hands or not. They’d have got so intrigued in the story they’d forget to clap hands. For example, the scene where Maga (Arya) takes revenge is a scene for the gallery, the audience should have erupted but Arya doesn’t take time to kill people, there are no slow mo’s, hair rising tension, just a man who stands there to complete the job. Even when he throws the dagger, the look is so intense, as if the dagger piercing the heart. That’s a brilliant sequence for a lot of reason. One, for Arya’s acting. Two, for one of the best ‘aal maratam double action’ scene. The ‘aal maratam’ here is so organic. When they search for Maga in hospital and Muni (Arya) in bungalow, it’s just the right amount of mix. Nothing over dramatical. Three, for the revenge in the style of how Maga says to his wife. One whose head burns, other with a dagger and the last with some time, also avenges for his wife by pushing one person in the well. But my doubt is when Maga says that his friends have been killed that way, is it a lie to wife, because three friends would be there with him. Are they the same or are they different?

Then comes the dialogues, lots of it are great. Some might feel preachy but its not. Because the one who talks about god and divinity, Muni, is a person who is into spirituality, practicing yoga and bramacharyam and the one who talks about goons, the ‘cuppi’ dialogue to his kid is spoken by a person who is real rowdy. So, they know what they are talking and they do it rightfully. One thing about ‘cuppi’ dialogue tells how the whole film had been made. The sequence before that is an extended built up to Maga going to school with his dagger. On the way he sees some rowdies making noise. And when the rowdy turns to his side we expect an action sequence, it doesn’t happen. He just advises his son to not look into the eyes of those people because they’re like stray dogs who’ll bark at you. Next scene where he goes to school, we expect some kind of violence against the teacher, the tension elongates as it’s a lengthy scene with the principal but eventually he doesn’t do anything. The whole film is structured in way where a relaxed us would come to the edge of the seat then go back. Take a bow, Santhakumar!

I got to know a spoiler, that they both are identical twins, so it spoilt a little bit of surprise for me. I regret to have seen that line because in the entire first half the story is so confusing; we don’t know what’s happening where. And the questions in the present goes to flashback of some other part where the answer is right but the question is wrong. It’s confusing isn’t it. Just watch the movie you’ll understand. More than editing its great storytelling. I was not even sure of the timelines, I thought it was a flashback within flashback. So, to decode all that was very interesting.

The thriller felt interesting because of the pace and the minimalistic music, just like Korean films. The pace was minimal but that’s what made the film tense. Something people who didn’t like the movie complained. But that’s what worked for me. Second point is there is a lot of motif like Kim Ki-duk’s, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring. Like Spring, Summer… even this film talks about philosophy of life. There are many aerial shots of lakes, mountains and many shots of lingam. It was like how the protagonist there prays with buddha on top of a mountain. I had doubts whether I was reading too much into the movie but the climax answered my question as well as the title. It’s the final piece of the jumble.

When we expect Maga to go forward and kill those people he just retires to life, becomes a saint, one guy even applied holy ash on his head thinking that he’s a saint. Thus, becoming Magamuni. Remember he’s the same guy who was considered an untouchable for being of lower caste. He swims across the river, if you had seen till the end of titles you would have noticed it happens till the point where the credits get over, he traverses from one end of the frame to other. Thus, completely imbibing with nature. In his words, spirituality. For others, godliness. For me Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring

For me this is the film of the year.

Movie Review – Irandaam Ulagam

Oh boy, what has happened to you Selva? After watching the night show of this movie my friend casually said, “ivan yen ipdi urugi urugi love story edukuran?” (Why is this guy making love stories like this?) I was like, “Uruguna paravala da, Gautham kooda than uruguran.” (Its fine, even Gautham makes such love stories) He said, “ana ivan urugi psycho mari eduthuranae da.” (But this is making love stories like a psycho.) That’s how to define the movie in one sentence. I don’t know why Selva keeps on repeating the same mistake again and again. For all the research that he had done for Aayirathil Oruvan I thought this too would offer something heavy but it didn’t offer me anything light too. It was a bland love story set in two worlds but given a third degree treatment with absolutely no research, nothing.

On earth there was a couple and the same couple was present even in another world. Just that the second world couple love each other without knowing that the word ‘love’ exists. Our world’s couple is stereotypic and their world couple doesn’t go along with the crowd at all. Seem to be shot in some Norwegian village with only Arya and Anushka look different from others. Though the idea of using a specific set of people for the second world was commendable, the lack of make up to make the lead pair look like the rest was a huge mistake.

There were few trademark Selva elements. I don’t know the opposite word of feminist but this guy seems to be more than that. He can’t stay off the chauvinistic elements in his movies like how Ram can’t keep blaming about rich people in his movies. Maruvan (the other world Arya) singing a love failure song sung by Dhanush was heights. While I was irritated to see Tamil being spoken without even a change in dialect, this song added to the misery.

By regular Selva elements I was about the mention the way a lady describes Arya in our world and Arya helping his dad in the toilet. Though I didn’t like the first scene the second one was refreshing. But straightaway sitting on the dining table was well… yucky. But this was much better than Arya helping out all the victims. Another refreshing thing was the song Kanimozhiyae. Only Selva could think like that!

I wasn’t much irritated with the shifts from this world to the second world but the film flopping as a whole in the second half in both the worlds was a thing to worry. Anirudh did a great job with background music. One of which had music similar to Wong Kor-wai’s In the Mood for Love and there I could see what was Selva’s intention. He wanted to make a love ‘epic.’ But he took the word ‘epic’ literally. There Wong Kar-woi even makes buying porridge epic but here even an epic looking scene of Arya defeating their lion looked bland. Other than that the rest of the BGM has to be really appreciated.

There are rumors about Selva retiring. Not sure how far its true but when someone like him could make movies like Pudhupettai and 7G Rainbow Colony he surely mustn’t stop making movies. I understand Selva’s affinity towards history and epics in general but he musn’t confuse that with what he’s good at. This again is a subject which as a one liner sounds good but the execution is as pathetic as it can be.

Movie Review – Raja Rani

I’m not sure whether I’d have watched this movie if not for a friend’s family treat. Other than watching just for free of cost I actually did enjoy the promos of Raja Rani in Vijay TV. But that was a reason too for thinking whether it was a wise choice to watch movie. Owing to time constraint I had to pick and choose films nowadays. Arya is a charismatic guy when it comes to giving interviews, add to it there was Nayanthara who was stunning after a long time, the director was a youngster. The only one missed in all those interviews was cutie pie Nazria. Not sure why they haven’t included here. They could have attracted lot more viewers like me. One more thing other than the glamour I liked about the cast was the clarity of thoughts the director had. He didn’t look to be just another director. He was wise enough to tell about the story but not about the suspense.

Coming to the movie, I wasn’t really in a steady state to criticize it. The movie had a decent story attached to it as said by the director and reasonably well executed. But thanks to face book there were little hints about things to expect. One had said that it’s a mix of every love story and other had said about Nazriya being super cute and twist in climax. So it wasn’t tough to find out what the climax will be, the suspense in Nazriya’s role or rather the love epic’s of yesteryears effect. In spite of all this the film worked to a certain fundamental level. That’s because the film didn’t have any flaws.

It was a surface level film alright and that’s where the comedians get to score and needless to say Santhanam was fabulous and songs played a huge part in making the film success. G. V. Prakash is one good music director who could give you a decent output for entertainers like this. You can’t expect a fabulous output like Gangs of Wasseypur with this movie but what he has done, he has done well. The song ‘Ai papa’ especially was very good. It could work very well if someone had to perform for an unplugged show. This guy has something in his voice too. His rendition is pure and soothing to hear. He sings the songs with a smile and that reflects on screen.

There isn’t much to look out for in the Nayanthara version of the story. It was like an extension of Engeyum Eppothum. But the pretty lady who played Nayanthara’s friend was a treat to watch. She was equally good looking in Neethanae En Ponvasantham too. She does justice to the petty friend role that she gets. In fact looks prettier than Nayanthara. Jai doesn’t do anything much to impress. Sathyaraj too was a disappointment playing a loving father. Everything was overdone. That’s why the film becomes a surface level one.

Here in Arya’s story the plot was as silly as the first one but Nazriya was a treat to watch. Add to it there was Santhanam. He was as witty as he could. This movie would go down as one of his finest performances. He just takes the movie through to the climax. There was an article title ‘comedy dada’ in a Tamil magazine a few weeks back. He stays true to the title. Nazriya as of now looks good as she’s doing what she does best. Being chirpy and all but the point is how long can she be doing the same. I hope she doesn’t get stuck in this mode like how Anushka got stuck in her bubbly mode after Band Baja Baraat.

The director struck gold with the characters he has used and cast for it. Even the story is a wee bit on the downside the characters take it forward because of some neat performances by the cast. All the love stories work and there is beautiful chemistry in each one of these. The director being a youngster could understand the young people’s vibe and being the assistant director of Shankar he has done well with all the commercial aspects. It’s a winner on cards; there is no doubt in that but beyond that will it stay in the memory? That’s the question. The answer is pretty much evident but that doesn’t seem to be a thing that the director would have worried about. Atlee being a youngster gets the sympathy of every youngster watching the film.