Atonement- AMAZING.... but Oscars???....

Title: Atonement
Cast: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan.....

Director: Joe Wright

Story: Fledgling writer Briony Tallis, as a 13-year-old, irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's (Keira Knightley) lover (James McAvoy) of a crime he did not commit.

Bottomline: Could have been the "Gone with the wind" of our times......

 It is painful to see a movie fall short of itself."What if" analysis aside, "Atonement" could have been a much better movie than it turns out to be at the end.  You go to the cinema hall
expecting a sensitive take on Ian McEwan's much talked about novel of the same name. Instead 
you get pretty much less than what you bargained for. Inadequate character development,  
a running time that is thinner than Keira Knightley, inconsistent acting, crisp editing which is
uncalled for marks "The Atonement". The film's saving grace is the overall plot coupled with
some brilliant engineered sequences which are sure to go down as some the best scenes seen in
Hollywood recently. The film yet again marks the crisp directing skills of budding director Joe
Wright after his faithful adaptation of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice".

 

Film is basically the narration of two sisters and a man whose lives are ireevocably changed
when the younger sister, out of jealousy accuses the man (who is in love with the elder sister)
of a crime he did not commit. The movie is divided into three parts, each of them representing
childhood, teenage and old age of the younger sister.  The first part is a well devised comment on
perception and reality. Saorise Ronan as Briony Tallis, an oddly matured child with a penchant 
for writing disturbs you with her probing eyes. Keira Knightly impresses but she looks 
as though she is from a concentration camp. Surely women in that age were not anorexically thin, were they? James McAvoy has a static role to play and impresses you.

 

I think you should watch "The Atonement" for only three things. Direction, direction and the third?? Yeah you got it wrong... cinematography. The Dunkirk evacuation sequence in the movie will go down as the one of the best tracking shots ever made. Five minutes of unedited footage in a camera that follows the protagonist's walk through this historic episode enthralls. Hats off!!

On the editing part of movie making, this is one film where the editing had to be in such a way
that there is enough time for the characters to develop. Instead a movie goer is put in a odd
position of concluding that the film was too short (usually its the other way around). True, the film is painfully short, a little over two hours. At the end you feel as though the movie
could have been easily 30-40 minutes longer.

 

Overall the movie could have been as popular and acclaimed as its book only if the screenplay had been a bit more fluid and a tad longer. Nonetheless its a movie to 
watch out for but frankly I dont expect many oscars for this movie expect for the original score and Saorise Ronan's part.

My Rating: 7.5/10
 

I am Legend- Not your deja vu horror movie

Title: I am legend
Cast: Will Smith, Will Smith, Will Smith and others....
Director: Francis Lawrence
Story: Robert Neville, a military scientist is the lone survivor of a disease that has wiped a whole world of people and changed many of them into blood thirsty creatures. He races against time to find a cure to this disease.
Bottomline: Heralding a new variant of horror movies.

"I am legend" could have easily have been a typical zombie-ridden horror movies with a lot of blood and gore thrown in, on the lines of movies like the "Resident Evil". But surprisingly it turns out to be a much more realistic and sensitive story, contrary to what it seems to offer to viewers. So if you are expecting (or hoping) to see Will Smith wielding 4 feet long guns and blasting zombies to smithereens, then you would better tear up that movie ticket in your hands. On the other hand, if you are willing put on your brains to watch this movie, you might be pleasantly surprised and impressed by the innovative treatment of this genre, which is more sensitive and less in-your- face action.
The movie is about the daily life of a military scientist Robert Neville (Will Smith), who is the lone survivor of a pandemic on earth. The movie chronicles his struggle to find a cure for this disease and save the world. He also has to save himself from blood-thirsty, nocturnal creatures that this disease has created out of humans.
Essentially a semi-horror plot, but this movie has a heart in it in the form of Will Smith who lends immense credibility to his part and the plot. It is a movie which revolves around him and only him. The actor has single-handedly carried this movie on his shoulders. Emoting alone is never easy, but Smith impresses. His role draws a fine line between sanity and insanity without overindulging in both. The scene where he goes in search of his dog in a dark building filled with zombies has to be appreciated for both its sound editing and Smith’s impeccable handling of the scene. Listen to Smith’s breathing in that scene and how he calls for his dog. A brilliant and memorable sequence!!
Minimum use of dialogues, absence of background score, importance given in many scenes to silence are some contextual high points in this movie. However, the technical aspects especially the CGI employed for the zombies are a let-down. The “virtual zombies” seem hell-bent on disobeying all laws of physics and believability to their roles. The director could have used actors with prosthetic make-up with better results in this regard. If he thought actors wouldn’t have been believable enough, he better watch a screening of the LOTR series in which Peter Jackson used prosthetic make-up on actors portraying as orcs with great results.

HK’s Verdict: Personally a very good movie. But for people going to theatres with preconceived notions, you have been warned. An empty New York is a sight to behold in this movie. How many times do you go to cinema and end up looking at a desolate NYC?
Rating: 7.5/10(Hollywood Standard)

The Simpsons- D'oh!! This Movie was amazing!!!

Title: The Simpsons
Cast (voiceover): Dan Castellanata, Julie Kavner, Harry Shearer, Billie Joe Armstrong(Green Day lead singer) and loads others
Storyline: After Homer accidentally pollutes the town's water supply, Springfield is encased in a gigantic dome by the EPA and the Simpsons family are declared fugitives.
Bottomline: Its raining gags and gags...

Thankfully I watched this movie on dvd. Had i watched it in the cinema halls, I would not have
 gotten half the plot because i would be laughing at a gag in the movie and by the time i complete laughing a dozen more gags would have gone by. This is a gag fest. I have seen pop culture satires, (Om Shanti Om, Shrek series for example) but nothing made me laugh as hard as this one. Many would have commented on the falling standards of the series but this one silences 
them all. Hats off!! The family is truly back......

HK's Verdict: Please do watch this movie.  I am sure you wont feel robbed.


 

Beowulf - To CGI or not to CGI

Title: Beowulf
Cast(voiceover & modelling): Ray Winston, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich
& Angelina Jolie
Director: Robert Zemeckis (Back to The Future, Forrest Gump...)
Story: A monster called Grendel ravages the kingdom of the Danes and a warrior called Beowulf comes and slays it only to enrage its mother.
Bottomline: Motion Capture animation Beta Version


To CGI or not to CGI, this is the dilemma that the director Robert Zemeckis seems to be in throughout this movie. What comes out finally is a half-baked product that wants to dazzle in all motion capture splendour but is pained by the budget constraints it faces under an unknown production house. Had it been fabricated by ILM(Industrial Light and Magic) 

or Dreamworks could have been much different. But the director can be appreciated for 

making the protagonist refreshingly humane. It comes as an unique attempt to sway adults in favour of animation movies. Don't take your children along with you looking at the 'animation 

movie' tag. The movie has as much blood, gore and sex as a movie like say '300'. In that regard this is the first 'A' rated animation movie ever released.

         Also this movie reminds you a lot of '300' in terms of the sheer energy that it gives out.
In the acting department, everybody has done a commendable effort special mention to Ray Winston and Angelina Jolie. But however real the models look like they still have those soulless eyes that convey no emotion.
HK's verdict: Better ventures in the field of motion capture are expected. This is just a Beta version. The best is yet to come. But the graphics are superb nonetheless.
Rating: 6.5/10(Hollywood Standard)

The Prestige - Bloddy Briliant!!

Title: The Prestige
Director: Chritopher Nolan (Remember ?? director of Batman Begins and Memento...)
Cast: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johannson,David Bowie,Michael Caine.
Story: The Story of two rival magicians and their efforts to outwit each other.
Bottomline:Abracadabra Alakhazam!!!


There are pretty few things in “the Prestige” that doesn’t work. Brilliant editing, superb cinematography(the walk up the hill at colorado heights is brilliantly designed), a cohesive script with twists and turns and a sincere performance from the lead cast leaves you spellbound and wanting for more when the final credits roll.

Christopher Nolan gives us what I would call a ‘Perfect Thriller’. I would define a thriller as a movie that is mysterious but clues as to what is going to happen at the end is spread throughout the movie and left in the open. Only that the viewer is lazy enough to work it out. The viewer wants to be fooled and he gets just that.

“The Prestige” is just the sort of the movie and much more. Director Christopher Nolan believes that the best way to hide a clue is to leave it out in the open. He gives us reasons why he is one of the most innovative directors around.

“The Prestige” is about two magicians Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Borden (Christian Bale) who are friends at first but gradually fall out to a rivalry that turns ugly. Each of them tries to outwit the other by sabotaging the other’s magic shows. Who outwits whom is what forms the story.

The movie itself is designed like a magic trick which consists of three parts The Pledge (the magician shows you something ordinary), The Turn (magician then makes the ordinary do something extraordinary) and The Prestige (the magician then makes the extraordinary change back to normal). There are three sometimes even four streams of stories going along at the same time in the movie but not for one moment does the viewer get perplexed. The back and forth way of storytelling (a signature style of Nolan) makes the movie even more fascinatingly complex.

As for the acting Hugh Jackman revels in a role that requires a lot of showmanship. Christian Bale is brilliant as always. David Bowie is in one of the best supporting roles I have ever seen recently. Scarlett Johannson is
there to decept and deceive.

Rating: 9/10 (Masterpiece)

PS:
And by the way, the tagline of the movie is “Are you watching closely?”. Be sure to watch the movie closely or else you might need a second viewing. “The Prestige” is a movie that reiterates once again why we go to the cinemas in the first place. It also shows what writers can create when they just think harder than they usually do. Watch out for the end its 
S-H-O-C-K-I-N-G!!

Shivaji:The Boss- Watch it not in Pirated VCD

Title: Shivaji: The Boss
Director:Shankar
Starring: "Superstar" Rajinikanth,Shriya Saran,Vivek,Suman,Raghuvaran, and loads of other guest appearances.
Story: Shankar's hero (no Superhero!!) tries to root out black money.
Bottomline: Shankar's Utopian Hero does it again!!

First things first. It would be an insult to the film's memory if this movie is watched in pirated VCD or DVD or if you guys are thinking that this film ought to be caught on cable television, you are missing a big treat. Nothing can do justice to this 3 hour long , rich celluloidian delight of a film than a DTS effect sound speaker system coupled with a 48 MB (megabytes) per frame other than a projector with a white screen in a cinema hall.

Yet the best part of Shivaji was this. When the film was annonced, I asked myself  "How could this Shankar-Rajini combo work?"

One side was a director who revels in making magnum opus ishstyle (pun intended!!) movies ever since he made his debut in "Gentleman".  One the other side lies an actor who revels in
punching his villains and his dialogues and who has a large fan following which even rivals a following of a political party (no Mr Rajinikanth I know you are not into politics but the
adjective was necessary)

But the biggest strength of Shivaji is that the movie has been into a reality without either
Rajini or Shankar coming out of their moulds. The script is not complex nor is it something that we have never come across in cinema. But its the packaging where the movie scores. 

And oh boy oh boy!! Does it score!! 

 

Acting: Rajini is in his belligerent self. Yet he doesn't turn preachy in this movie as well (he probably learnt this lesson from "Baba").Shriya Saran surprises you with her quiet portrayal as Thamizh. Yet her lip sync in dubbing is lousy (dubbing by Kanika of "Varalaru" fame).
Though she is portrayed as a quiet "Kudukmba Ponnu" (literally translates as family girl!!), 
she turns into one of the most sexiest screen siren to have scorched cinema halls in the song sequences.

           

     The best acting honours in the movie, however goes to the villain Adhi Seshan (Suman). As the menacing man behind the dark matrix-style sunglasses,Suman is in familiar grounds and hence revels. Vivek tickles you with his witty one-liners. Though some of his dialogues semm to have been taken straight from Crazy Mohan's book of comedy (katpadi rhyming with dead body is one such example). He even mimics Rajini in front of him much to the amusement of everybody. The twoof them imitating vadivelu is absolute magic and their
chemistry is palpable. Rajini proves that one doesnt need to make comedy by kicking the comedian around. Are you reading this Mr.Vadivelu? 1.6/2

Cinematography: National award winner KV Anand brings in his usual tricks of film making.
Cinematography is one of the biggest strength in this movie. His colour tones are so good that even the famine scorched earth in the first song appear artistic and beautiful. Eye-candy cinematography. 0.9/1

Editing: On seeing the starting sequences, I thought that this would be a long movie. But this so called long movie minimizes into 2 hour 45 minute long affair, crisper than potato chips Anthony scissoring abilities are getting better and better. He was superb in 
"Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu" and excellent in "Shivaji". The camera-ramping (a usual in Shankar movies) technique and ability to use connect different scenes is absolutely ingenious (that mms message part of the movie). 0.9/1

Music: When AR Rahman is at the helm in the music department, you should expect nothing less than magic from the "Mozart of Madras". The "Sahana" song is unforgettable piece and connoisseur's delight. The "Athiradee" song is literally foot-tapping. The "Style" song is an unique attempt in Hip-Hop and Funk genres. 1/1

Art Direction: The art direction by Thotatharani is simply amazing and award-winning (for sure). It still surprises me how he is able to create sets from a hut to a huge "Tower of Magi" style set in the "Vaaji Vaaji" song. 0.8/1

Others: Peter Hein's stunts, though a bit over the top sometimes is still very beleivable. CG animation is excellent and rivals even many Hollywood movie special effects. The Athiradee song is one example. It would be interesring Rajini's next project in Sultan, animated movie realeasing in 2008 made by Rajini's daughter.

In the starting sequence, the man next to Rajini's cell (no spoilers here!!) asks him why he was put in jail, to which he replies he did service to the people. To this the man quips "Then you ought to be put in jail!" . I started clapping to this dialogue (I was the only one clapping in the hall,  but thankfully and sound from the movie drowned my singular attempt) amazed at the irony and the sting that the dialogue carried. There you knew Dialogue writer Sujatha has done his job.

 Choreography is good and they have made it a  point to make Rajini dance and he does his job gracefully.

Costumes by Manish Malhothra is stunning. Makes Rajini look chic and Shriya, a bombshell.

Makeup by Bhanu is simply superb. Makes the superstar look atleast two decades younger straight from his "Murattu Kalai" days. A welcome change from the gross makeup we saw in "Chandramukhi".

0.8/1

Script and Screenplay: Now this is the most important part of any movie. Though the movie doesnt fall flat on its face in this department, its still a tad repetetive on Shankar's part. The story seems to be a variant of "Indian","Gentleman"and many other of his works.
I think it is time for Shankar to take a well-deserved break and try his hand at more ralistic and low cost movies in the future. Though his production company boasts of down-to-earth movies like "Kadhal" and "Veyyil", The BOSS is yet to take a plunge in it. It would be refreshing to take a break after all!! Also the aftermath of the climax is also totally ignored as what happens after it comes during the credits. If his mission was to show his "message" then the director should not have set it aside in the credits.
1.6/3
 

Total: 7.6/10 (strictly to be watched in theatres if you want 3 hours of non-stop fantasy)








 
 

Spiderman 3 - Rocking!!!

Title: Spiderman 3 (I will call it S-3)
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Toby McGuire , Kirsten Dunst , James Franco
Story: The story of the web-slinger continues.
Bottomline: Makes "Superman Returns" look like Noddy's Toytown.

I have been wanting to write a blog for the previous Spidey movies. But alas never got the time. So here I start off with the first two movies to brush up your memories. So those of you who remember the first two movies skip to paragraph 3.

Spiderman:

A bite from a irradiated spider gives high school teenager and geek Peter Parker (Toby McGuire) spider-like abilities. A series of events leads to Peter having an indirect hand in his uncle, Ben’s death. With his new found powers he decides to fight for justice and faces his first adversary The Green Goblin a.k.a Norman Osborne (played brilliantly by William Defoe), who is ironically the father of Harry Osborne (James Franco) Peter’s best friend. The first movie was a lot about Spiderman discovering himself as a superhero how he uses those powers for the good of mankind. He also makes a choice of not to express his love to his childhood sweetheart Mary Jane(Kirsten Dunst).A superb popcorn movie!!

Spiderman 2:

Life has never been worse for Peter Parker as he juggles his two lives, that of Peter Parker, college student whose grades are declining, loses his part-time job and doesn’t even remember his birthday and the other of Spiderman who is haunted by bad press propagated by Daily Bugle editor Jonah Jameson ( a very lovable character played JK Simmons) where Peter works as a part-time photographer. In the meantime a nuclear fusion test in the city goes horribly wrong when the head scientist Dr Otto Octavius (played superbly by Alfred Molina I thought he would get a supporting actor nomination) attached to robotic arms which starts to control him. Enraged at his failure he decides to reconstruct his machine by robbing banks. Peter Parker meanwhile loses his girl to astronaut John Jameson, who is now dating Mary Jane. Irritated by his failure in life, he starts to lose his powers and makes a choice to become Spiderman no more. Unlike the first movie the second movie was more about Peter Parker rather than Spiderman. Spiderman in the lift scene and the fight in the train with Doctor Octavius is one of the best visual effects scene of that time. In this movie Harry Osborne, Mary Jane discover the identity of Spiderman. The movie ends on the note that Harry finds out his father was Green Goblin and decides to step into his shoes and Mary Jane breaks her engagement with John Jameson and joins with Peter Parker once again. I thought the movie would get an Best Film Oscar Nomination at least.

Spiderman 3:

First of all let me tell you where I saw this movie At the renovated and rocking new Sathyam cinema hall. The hall has been upgraded to a more snazzier look and looks a lot abstract in appearance with weirdly shaped ceiling lights.

Ok now to the movie. Spiderman 3 just as the previous movies continues the story of Peter Parker (for the first time superbly played by Toby McGuire). In S-3 Spiderman has everything he wanted, he’s got his girl Mary Jane, stands first in college and best of all is loved by the people of New York as Spiderman. All this popularity gets into his head and he sort of inflates his ego. At this a meteor shower in NY results in the arrival of symbiote from space, an ugly goo monster which has an uncanny resemblance to a Spider in the shadows. In a accident involving a crane atop a skyscraper ( a must-see action sequence) Spidey saves a Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard) Peter’s lab partner and classmate. To complicate things he even receives a grateful kiss from her much to astonishment of Mary Jane in a ceremony conducted to honor Spiderman ( a very humorous sequence). The alien symbiote then clings onto Spidey’s outfit and results in the formation of a rocking black Spidey outfit.The new outfit amplifies Spidey’s more darker personality. Peter Parker then discovers that the actual killer of his uncle is Flint Marko aka The Sandman(Thomas Haden Church) who robs money from the bank to save his sick daughter.

Consumed by his thirst for revenge he attacks Sandman, and this shows in his character as admirably changes from a nerdy , timid guy to a flirty, hot blooded youngster(that club sequence where he dances is simply awesome and humorous). Later in the storyline comes Venom who is actually Eddie Brock(Topher Grace) a competition to Peter in the newspaper photographer.

The story suggestatively shows that Peter and Eddie live parallel lives and Venom is Spidey’s opposite or his anti.

Other than this is Harry Osborne (James Franco in a brilliant finale to his character) who is out revenge and steps into his father’s shoes as The New Goblin .

Loaded in this complex movie are some heart-stopping action sequences especially the climax. The editing looks sloppy in places. The movie is much more humorous. A welcome change indeed. The movie could have been good with a little less number of villains and little less complexity. The movie is complex certainly, and that shows in the mixed critical reaction the movie has received. Overall a rocking movie and which is a must-watch movie for your summer. Can’t wait for Spiderman 4(if it has the same cast).

Rating: 7.8/10