Category Archives: Must Watch

Drama, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Romance, Tamil Movies

Kaatru Veliyidai Review

2 Comments

Kaatru Veliyidai Review – Kaatru Veliyidai is a Tamil romantic drama released in 2017. VC an Indian Air Force fighter pilot is captured by Pakistani army as a war prisoner during the Kargil war, his hope to meet Leela once more keeps him alive.

Director Maniratnam creates a yet another gem out of his “Akshaya Patra” (inexhaustible vessel) of love. He still has some much more stories to tell. In Kaatru Veliyidai, he deals with yet another tale of romance the core conflict being male chauvinism. The canvas for the tale he has chosen is quite interesting. It is a love between an Air Force fighter pilot and a doctor. The swag of a pilot naturally makes the male chauvinist behavior very believable. I will not dwell more on the story and spoil any fun for you.

Ravi Varman’s cinematography is a great plus. The entire movie is a visual treat. The breathtaking view of the Himalayan mountain range makes it even richer. I couldn’t take the eyes from the screen. Extreme close up shots, communicating with eyes, a lesser number of dialogues, a slow movement of the scene to build up the drama all makes it very appealing. I love drama in the movies, off late watching the treatment of directors like Hari, KV Anand and many other directors I have led to believe that slow moving shots, communication through silence all have become old fashioned. But this vintage magic of Mani sir is still magical. Those short and sweet dialogues still evoke the emotions in you. Those silent visuals still teleport you.

The most striking performance is from Aditi Rao Hydari. She is not only eye candy but her eyes speak a lot. The scene in which she looks into the mirror and questions herself, she has performed so well. Karthi’s performance is also good. At times you feel he goes overboard with his performance but all this works well to establish his male chauvinist attitude. RJ Balaji for a change has acted in a mellowed down manner. He could make you laugh even with serious dialogues without trying too hard with mixing Tamil and English.

The music and background score of AR Rahman is very apt for the visuals. Mani sir has re-used some of the iconic romance scenes from his earlier movies shamelessly. And we too would enjoy these shamelessly as they still stay fresh after so many years.

High Points: The treatment of the core conflict of love, Breathtaking visuals, slow drama and communication through silence, Aditi’s performance are all high points.

Low Points: If you don’t like silence in movies or slow drama you might feel a bit restless.

Overall I would say Vintage Mani Sir is back. He still has a lot of love (stories) left in him. If you love movies like Mouna Raagam, Alaipayuthey, Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya, you would love this one too.

Must Watch

 

Action, Comedy, Crime, Genre, Must Watch, Other Languages, Rating, Reviews

Very Big Shot Review

Very Big Shot Review – Very Big Shot is a Lebanese comedy film released in 2015. Three brothers who are into drug dealing business take up one last job before they set out to go clean and straight to open a restaurant business.

I had watched this movie in the Bangalore International Film Festival 2016. How I wished Tamil movie Jigarthanda’s second half was something like this. Anyways that is my personal views which many may differ to agree. Without getting into that argument let me talk about Very Big Shot. The movie is a gangster drug lord flick at the outset. However, there is a very sensible humor throughout the script right from the first shot. Once the gangsters figure out that film roles are spared from being screened at the airport, they decide to become a producer of a film. The movie gets very interesting from there on and it is a ride filled with loads of laughter.

The screenplay has been done very nicely to ensure there is a logical flow to the whole story. The characters have been created and established the way they fit into the situations well. There is no point it looks force fitted. Usually, comedy movies suffer from the phenomenon of force fitting humor into the script.

High Points: The scene where Ziad (eldest of the brothers) decide to make a movie to smuggle the drugs, the filmmaking scene where the Bhurka clad lady is stopped and the onlookers jump in to create a commotion without realising it is a shooting.

Low Points: As the humor is built around the movie making process, this humor may not work for all.

Overall, Very Big Shot is a wholesome entertainer that would make you laugh and keep you engaged throughout the movie. If you get a chance to watch this one do give it a try.

Must Watch

Comedy, Genre, Must Watch, Other Languages, Rating, Reviews

One Man and His Cow Review

One Man and His Cow Review – One Man and His Cow is a French comedy movie released in 2016. Fatah a peasant from Algeria travels on foot with his Cow Jacqueline to compete in Paris International Agriculture Show.

Yet another gem I had seen during the Bangalore International Film Festival. The movie is a joint collaboration between France and Algeria. This easily is one of the sweetest feel good movie I had watched recently. The best part of the movie is its simplicity. They have used the resources available to them very economically to convey a heart warming story. Fatah and his cow steal the viewer’s heart right from the first scene where he gives a motivational speech to his Cow on how she would win in the competition. The characters in the village are also naive and very realistic.

There is also some excellent screenplay construction of tracking his journey through lessons in a classroom where its everyday task of the students is to point the place in the map where Fatah and his cow are currently. Usually, filmmakers cover it with a cliched map and a red line going through it. But hearing it through the class makes it very interesting.  The class stops tracking him after crosses the border which I believe is a sarcastic indication of how the developed nations are so clueless about the life outside. The introduction of Lambert Wilson’s role as Philippe adds a very interesting dimension to the tale. The interactions between Phillippe and Fatah draw the contrast between the two worlds they belong to.

High Points: The overall feel good factor, The peach drink scene, the scene in which Fatah tries to write a letter to his wife, the climax scene.

Low Points: There is not really a low point in the movie as it is sincere to its screenplay.

Overall One Man and His Cow will make you laugh, touch the soft corners of your heart and bring a big smile on your face.

Must Watch

Comedy, Drama, Genre, Must Watch, Other Languages, Rating, Reviews

A Man Called Ove

2 Comments

A Man Called Ove – A Man Called Ove is a Swedish comedy-drama released in 2015. This is based on the book by Fredrik Backman. 59-year-old Ove decides to end his life and join his late wife in the other world. But ending his life doesn’t seem so easy.

This is yet another gem of a movie which I was able to see at Bangalore International Film Festival 2017. The movie is nominated for the Academy awards 2016 under the foreign language films and best hair makeup and styling category. I haven’t read the book yet. The movie was as enjoyable like reading a book. The simplicity of the tale and the reaction of the characters to the day to day problem is a great strength to the movie. There are no larger than life incidents or characters.

Rolf Lassgård’s performance as Ove is the best part of the movie. The other characters in the movies are also sketched beautifully. Director Hannes Holm has maintained the naivety of the tale in the movie as well.  This makes it a very pleasant watch. The movie has good humor that arises out of the characters, situation and the interaction between them. The portions where Ove’s obsession for Volvo cars is involved were hilarious.

High Points: Simple story line, the innocence of the tale is a strong point, Performance of Rolf Lassgård is a big strength for the movie, The romance sequence between husband and wife is picturized well. The humor in the screenplay works very well to keep the audience engaged throughout.

Low Points: For the love of Ove you would tend to ignore any low points.

Overall the movie appears to be a sincere attempt in getting the book to real life. Combined with great visuals and stunning performances the movie is a pleasant watch.

Must Watch

Action, Comedy, Genre, Must Watch, Other Languages, Rating, Reviews

Kills on Wheels Review

Kills on Wheels Review – Kills on Wheels (Tiszta szívvel) is a Hungarian comedy film released in 2016. Two disabled teenagers find a reason to live when they get associated with a wheel-chaired hitman.

This is yet another movie I had an opportunity to watch in Bangalore International Film Festival. This is the first Hungarian movie I am watching. Right from the main title card, the movie kept me engaged. The plot line looks very simple and naive but a number of layers added to the screenplay and the characters have been phenomenal.  There was always something waiting to surprise you. The hitman assignments have been shot very well and many of them have been gripping. In particular their final assignment. When you are already blown away by the story you had witnessed so far, the director surprises you with yet another beautiful twist in the movie to leave you elated as you leave the hall.

If you are film student then this is a movie you should watch for many aspects, the layers you add to a screenplay in terms of characters and situations, the background score, mise en scene to name a few. I can’t write too much about the plot and their twists as it would spoil the movie for you. This one happens to be the official nomination from Hungary for the Academy awards but unfortunately did not get nominated.

High Points: The characterization of the lead characters. In particular the boy with autism and the hitman. The final assignment of the hitman set out to kill Toni. The twist in the climax sequence. The title soundtrack.

Low Points: I did not find any low points for this one. If any had been well covered by a great execution.

Overall, the movie works well in entertaining the audience and leave the elated. Don’t miss this one.

Must Watch

English Movies, Genre, Horror, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Thriller

Train to Busan Review

3 Comments

Train to Busan Review – Train to Busan is a Korean zombie apocalypse horror movie released in 2016. Seok-Woo, a divorced fund manager travels with his daughter to Busan on a train to meet his ex-wife on the occasion of their daughter’s birthday. The journey turns out to be a nightmare as the zombies attack the people on the train and making them into one.

I am not a huge fan of zombie movies. However, I decided to watch this one due to the positive reviews it has been getting. The movie gets to the core plot within minutes. There is no unnecessary melodrama and you find yourself in the middle of the action in 15 minutes. The plot gets gritty when there is a clear separation between the zombies and the un-infected humans. In the middle of the apocalypse is a beautiful father-daughter relationship which takes a new shape and each of them gets to understand each more. As with many other Korean movies, there is the core conflict between what is ethical vs what would benefit you. The tension surmounts when people stop trusting each other.

The kid Kim Su-an steals the show with her performance. Initially desperate to see her Mom and sad for not getting her father’s attention, to the point where she starts questioning her father’s ethic she performs so well. Her performance in the climax sequence is very impactful.  Gong Yoo too, has played his role very well ably supported by Ma Dong-seok and Jung Yu-mi.  The role of Kim Eui-sung as a selfish man adds a new dimension to the screenplay and makes it more engaging.

The Cinematography is done very well. The scene of the train crash and the humans escaping from the zombie on a running train is a treat to watch.

High Points: The performance of Kim Su-an, Gripping screenplay, Visuals brought to the Canvas by excellent cinematography, the climax of the movie is very impactful.

Low Points: Hardly any low points. The explicit violence sequence is not suitable for kids and family audience.

Overall Train to Busan is a well-made horror thriller. If you are a fan of zombie movies you would love this one. If you are like me still you have a lot to look forward to in this movie.

Must Watch

Biopic, Drama, Genre, Hindi Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Dangal Review

Dangal Review – Dangal is a Hindi sports biopic released in 2016. The movie is based on the real-life story of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat on how he had coached his daughters to compete and win in the international arena.

In the past few years, there has been some successful sports biopic released in India.  Dangal not only joins the list but sets a new benchmark. Aamir Khan steals the show by playing the role of the wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat. He breaks all the stereotypes and peer pressure of making a movie that idolizes a hero with mass elements. As the real life hero he plays, he puts his daughters in front in the movie. There is also a scene in which he loses a wrestling match with his daughter. A scene that many superstars would dread to do in the current scenario. Also, his younger self with a fit avatar just appears for a couple of minutes in the entire movie.

The first half of the movie has been created with absolute creativity. Every frame has been crafted beautifully and has a great cinematic value. The opening sequence itself will hook you on to the lead protagonist. The screenplay has been made interesting with a careful mixture of emotions and humor. The use of Aamir’s nephew to move the screenplay through narration adds an interesting dimension to the movie and helps in introducing the main protagonist and his daughters very well.

The second half is like any other sports biopic with more focus on wrestling matches and has been executed very well.

High Points: Aamir’s performance, The opening sequence,  the first half of the movie where the girls get trained, their ways to avoid training going futile, the transformation they go through to fight male wrestlers. Interesting screenplay. Songs and the way they have been picturised. Direction by Nitesh Tiwari. Among everything is how the stereotype of a male-oriented subject has been broken.

Low Points: There are no much low points in the movie, the emotional melodrama in the climax could have been kept low. 

I was bit let down after watching Sultan for the way it had typecasted women to sacrifice life for her man’s dreams. Dangal has completely removed it by breaking the stereotypes. Kudos to Nitesh Tiwari and team for belief in the script and executing with perfection. Probably the best sign off from Disney pictures in India.

Overall Dangal is a movie that will inspire you and nail the importance of sports and women empowerment. Go and watch it in the theaters with your family.

Must Watch

Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Suspense, Tamil Movies, Thriller

Kuttrame Thandanai Review

Kuttrame Thandanai Review – Kuttrame Thandanai is a Tamil psycho thriller released in 2016. A man suffering from tunnel vision discovers he would lose his sight over time. He happens to be a witness of a possible suspect in the murder of a girl in his neighborhood.

This is the second movie of director M. Manikandan after the critically acclaimed Kakka Muttai. This is a new genre and apparently this happens to be the movie he had committed before Kakka Muttai. This is a different genre, yet revolves around the desperation of an individual. In this case the desperation of getting his sight back.

There are no songs in the movie which is a welcome change amidst of the commercial frenzy films. In  thrillers, the success and engagement depend on how well the final climax is hidden from the audience. Unfortunately, I was able to predict it much earlier. Nevertheless, the movie was engaging throughout and fortunately the climax was not about solving the mystery which made it more interesting.

The visuals and the backdrop of the apartment have been done well and suit the tone of the movie.  Vidharth has performed his role very well as he had done in Aal.  Usually to reflect the inner conscious screenplay writers employ the same character image talking to him however in this the character of Nasser is brilliantly planted in the script which does the job for the director.

High Points: Song free thriller, Visuals, Characterization, Vidharth’s performance. The short run time of the movie.

Low Points: Part of the end had been predictable at least for me. Few folks may not like the climax.

Overall movies like Kuttrame Thandanai pushes the standard of story telling and movie making to a new level and continues to prove it is not just about high bankrolling projects and popular star cast alone. This is a must watch for the love of movies.

Must Watch

Biopic, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Pelé: Birth of a Legend Review

Pelé: Birth of a Legend Review – Pelé: Birth of a Legend is an American biopic released in 2016. The movie is based on the life of the legendary Brazilian footballer  Pelé. It deals with the time frame where he rose from an ordinary boy to a national treasure.

I was a bit skeptical before watching this movie due to the average reviews it has been receiving. But realized, I was wrong should never go with the critics. The movie is high on emotions and goosebumpy moments which keeps you engaged in the movie. The best part of the movie is that it doesn’t cover much of what the world knows about Pelé but goes into the part where you see an innocent boy, a janitor’s son go on a journey to become a legend.  In many scenes, they don’t show the goal but people’s expressions and emotions.

The emotions are not cloying ones but kept well placed in the script to lift up the human spirits. The movie focuses more on the conflict of Brazilian game style being forcefully removed and how Pelé struggles to get it back.

High Points: The sequence where the kids get the cloth ball rolling without a bounce, The same repeated when the entire team is demotivated where they take it to the light house. The background score of A R Rahman adds a special dimension to the whole film. There are lot more goosebumpy moments you would love. The history of Ginga.

Low Points: If you don’t like an emotional script then you might be disappointed with this, which might be the reason for the average reviews.

Overall Pelé: Birth of a Legend is a true tribute to the legend himself. A country that is obsessed with football as a religion, one man had believed in their core values to lift their spirits high and win for them. If you love football you should definitely watch this one, even if not there is plenty for you to cherish.

Must Watch

Drama, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Short Films, Tamil Movies

The Affair – Tamil Short film Review

3 Comments

The Affair – Tamil Short film Review – The Affair is a Tamil short film released in 2016.  A 52-year-old man is having an affair with a girl half his age and his grown up children comes to know about it. How do they react is the plot of The Affair.

After Unakkae Uyiranen and Haiku Nee director Surrya Narayanan and the team has come up with yet another Tamil short film The Affair. The screenplay is very engaging right from the first frame. The length of the movie is just right to create the impact needed. The plot deals with something that is very intense in human emotions. The treatment of the screenplay keeps it simple and nonchalant which makes it a pleasure to watch.

The casting of the movie is perfect. Livingston and Anupama have performed very well. Anupama has performed so well and conveyed a lot without having to utter a dialog. The background score matches the mood and tempo of the movie well. The use of extreme close-up shots helps in maintaining the intense mood of the movie. Hardly you get to see the environment but for a few shots but still understand where these characters reside. It is done brilliantly.

High Points: The high point of the movie is the exchange of dialogues between the father and the daughter. For me, this shot sums up the plot well. Apart from this, the casting, screenplay, visuals, and background score have been done well.

Low Points: Not much low points to talk about 🙂

Overall The Affair is very soulful at its core and deals with human emotions in a nonchalant way. A tight screenplay and power packed performances make it a must watch. Watch it definitely when this releases for public view. Kudos to the team for pulling out such a soulful movie.

Must Watch

You can watch the full short film here

 

Action, Comedy, Drama, Genre, Malayalam Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Action Hero Biju Review

2 Comments

Action Hero Biju Review – Action Hero Biju is a Malayalam drama film released in 2016. The story revolves around the daily life of a local town sub-inspector in Kerala.

The movies title and trailer are a bit misleading for it to be a typical commercial cop drama. However the tagline “A ride with a police officer” is a more apt title. Nivin Pauly had switched gears after the blockbuster Premam to do a realistic cop drama. The word realistic is key because the movie is very simple and revolves around the day to day life of a cop. After watching the movie for 140 minutes you get a feeling of having been a spectator in a police station. You see the police officer trying to resolve the cases, adamant to not to submit before power, deal with emotional situations with a straight face as it is a routine, enjoy the music played by a convict. The conflicts are not dramatic like any other movie. Barring the last fight sequence, the movie is a sincere attempt to pay tribute to the cops.

The best part of the movie is the screenplay. It is almost like a theater where the next set of characters arrive to perform on the stage once the previous ones are done. Here the police station is like a stage. You see a plethora of characters including a local drug dealer, a stalker, a nuisance creator in public, a separated couple, a human right activist, a spoilt rich man to mention a few. Each of the characters adds an interesting facet to the narration. In many parts, you see parallel tracks going on a different case and each of them gets a logical resolution. The start of the movie creates the necessary suspense needed to glue the audience to the seat.

High Points: A sincere screenplay without any frills, Nivin Pauly’s performance as sub-inspector Biju, character sketches in various cases.

Low Points: I want to leave this blank to laud the effort of an honest film.

Overall Action Hero Biju is a movie for all movie buffs. The makers have proved how you can make an interesting movie without falling into the fray of items forced in for commercial reasons. I would recommend this to be a Must watch for the sincere script.

Must Watch

Drama, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies

Irudhi Suttru Review

Irudhi Suttru Review – Irudhi Suttru is a Tamil sports drama released in 2015. Prabhu Selvaraj is a failed boxer owing to the dirty politics in the sports. He spots a raw talent in a girl living in the slum of Chennai and puts effort to coach her to raise to the top in the sport. Did he succeed is the plot of Irudhi Suttru.

Very rarely sports drama becomes a hit in Indian cinema. Irudhi Suttru is one movie which has proven that wrong. There has been good research done before going in for the shoots. This acts as a strong point for the movie. Kudos to director Sudha Kongara to have believed in the script and bringing it to the screen. The core strength of the movie is the script and performance of Madhavan and Rithika Singh. We get to see a different dimension of Madhavan as witnessed in Aayudha Ezhuthu. He has worked hard to transform himself into the role very well.

The visuals and tone of the movie are very pleasing. Nasser has fit into the role of a lazy coach very well. His comic timing is a treat to watch. The songs fit into the energy and the tempo of the movie very well. This yet again joins the healthy trend of movies around 2 hour time period which is off late becoming hit in Tamil Cinema.

High Points: Engaging Screenplay, performances of Madhavan and Rithika Singh, songs by Santhosh narayanan, visuals.

Low Points: The climax is bit overdramatic for the tale but I believe that is warranted for commercial success.

Overall Irudhi Suttru is a sincere attempt in movie making. It engages with you very well and breaks the stereotypes of women- oriented subject seen as not being able to produce commercial success. Kudos to the team and expect a lot more such good movies from Sudha Kongara.

Must Watch