Azhwar (2007)

Yes, I did watch this movie last nite. And, in order to keep up my credentials as an expert on bad films, I had to deal with this monstrosity sooner or later. So, without further ado.. 

Ajit is coming after his big success in Godfather (I still dont understand how that movie was a hit!!!).  He sould take more care in choosing scripts for his movies. I simply cannot understand how he agreed to do this movie!!! Probaby they just wanted to cash in on the success of Godfather.

Bad script, bad direction, pathetic screenplay...Oh my gawd, the screenplay 
is not underwritten, but unwritten!! The background score by Srikanth Deva is loud and pathetic. Calling the music "forgettable" would be a kindness.

Vivek's comedy is a welcome relief in this movie. He is back in his element, and the comedy tracks are the saving grace. Asin is cute and is her usual chirpy self. But she does not have any role. Whenever she is there on the screen, you can expect a song.

There are bad movies. There are really bad movies. And then there's this one. Morbid curiosity compelled me to seek it out, just so I could see for myself exactly how dreadful it was. Well the verdict is that this movie is easily the absolute worst movie I have seen in a long, long time.  It is inconcievable to me that anyone could make a film this hopelessly, endlessly, mind-meltingly bad. This is not just a bad movie - it's a crime! A shameful, pathetic excuse for a movie!

So here is some advice to you Ajit...invest in a good writer,  choose a better director, and improve production values and maybe you'll begin to have a movie that borders on "not-awful."

Rating: 2.0 / 10

Pokiri (2007)

Pokiri is a remake of the successful Telugu film of the same name starring Mahesh Babu and Ileana.

One might get the feeling that the movie is once in a lifetime event after seeing the hype and hoopla surrounding the release and the record-breaking run it had at the Telugu box office. But the movie sadly fails to deliver on many counts - tight story line, memorable music and a good comedy track.

Though it's all too well known that we are not sticklers for realism in our movies, we don't complain a spoonful of it! I mean, an undercover cop going berserk, in his imitation of a barbarian, with the poor rowdy folks was a bit over the top, to put it mildly. Probably Vijay was stretching the macho-ism thread little too thin. But I should definitely say that he steals the show, and his charm is spread all through the movie. Asin looks a bit jaded and tired at times, but is OK on the whole. Prakash Raj is effective as the villain Ali Bhai. 

One thing Pokiri could have avoided is the Vadivelu comic angle. Most of the time, the comedy scenes involving Vadivelu are crude beyond belief!!

The choreography was good, but I expected more out of the Prabhu Deva - Vijay combination.
And nothing to mention about the music!!

The movie has its positives too - slick photography and exaggerating fight sequences that appeal to the large masses. And it also tries to shock the prudes by showing glimpses of BDSM and snorting!

The movie is a clear liftoff from the Johnny Depp starrer Donnie Brasco, but well adapted to suit Vijay's image. And in summary, Pokiri is a reasonably engrossing movie and probably the clear winner in the Pongal race between Pokiri and Aalwar.

Rating: 6.0 / 10

 

Flightplan (2005)

After the mysterious death of her husband, Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster) and her daughter Julia (Marlene Lawston) are flying the body for burial to New York City. After boarding an airplane she helped design, Kyle settles down for a nap, only to awaken and find that Julia is missing. Frenzied, Kyle demands the plane be searched, which irritates the flight attendants, and raises the suspicions of one of the passengers (Peter Sarsgaard). When each search comes up empty, fellow passengers start becoming agitated, and the captain of the plane (Sean Bean) wary of her motives, Kyle is forced to confront her own sanity and accept that Julia might not have existed at all. How she finds her daughter forms the crux of the story.

Rarely have I been so annoyed by a film. Perhaps this is because "Flightplan" starts off with such promise before descending (ha ha) into a laughably ridiculous, clichéd, and downright boring final third.

"Flightplan" seemed promising as it slowly established the impossibility of the actual explanation it provides. There is the possibility of a good movie in there, but as it stands, "Flightplan" is an enormous cheat!

Rating: 5.5 /10

 

Guru (2007)

India's leading director, Mani Ratnam, clearly inspired by the life of controversial Indian entrepreneur Dhirubhai Ambani, again ventures into the Hindi scene with "Guru," a decades-spanning drama with a compelling Abhishek Bachchan as a ruthless Indian business tycoon who refuses to take no for an answer.

This first half shows Ratnam at his narrative best, smoothly covering a lot of story while always building character, and with a softer southern edge to the picture than usual Bollywood fare. The musical numbers (except for the one featuring Mallika Sherawat) also focus on character rather than pure spectacle.

Second half is less convincing dramatically, as Gupta and his editor (Madhavan) start their press campaign uncovering Guru's misdeeds, and in 1980, the middle-aged Guru is brought before a corruption commission. Though a lot is heard about Guru's bad practices, the viewer is hardly made privy to them, and thus unable to take an emotional position. Several sideplots and characters, including Jignesh, are underwritten or disappear completely.

The film is anchored by Bachchan's terrific performance. As always, Rai is lovely to look at, but she doesn't make much of her character. Mithun brings to life a media baron who hides his essential simplicity and sweetness in practised roughness. He really give Abhishek a run for his money. The rest of the supporting cast is uniformly good, with Babbar, Madhavan, Vidya Balan and the great Roshan Seth as the standouts.

Rajeev Menon’s camerawork as expected is exceptional. He experiments with various colours to suggest the progression of the timeline. Sharp widescreen lensing by him is aces. Score by Mani's regular composer, A.R. Rehman, is typically rhythmic rather than melodic, effectively propelling the drama. Rehman’s songs sound even better on screen and have been lovingly picturized by Mani and Menon.

Guru is unpretentious and doesn't labor to make a point. Its neither traditional entertainment nor a cinematic experience. But even if you have never heard of Ambani or know little about India and its history, you can still appreciate GURU for its terrific cast, its strong direction and script, brilliant camera work and excellent background score.

Rating:   7.0 / 10

 

Who Needs Blogs About Movies?

Beyond the World Wide Web, the movies, the movie industry and movie stars are feverishly covered on television, in fan and gossip magazines, in the trade press and in daily newspapers. With all that, who needs blogs about movies? - Dan Ackman

There are countless sites in the world wide web featuring movie reviews by critics who are by far more knowledgeable than I. But blogs are not about need, they are about self-expression! I want to give my views on movies, with celebrity worship not in sight. This blog is neither IMDB nor Rotten Tomatoes, but I will try to do justice.

As Jean-Luc Goadard would say Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world. Amen!