REVIEW OF "NAAN SIGAPPU MANITHAN"

In the footprints of Ghajini, Chandramukhi, Anniyan we have in our hands another well made disorder-based-thriller. Though the grandiose, as in the case of the former movies, is missing the plot has been kept simple and to the point and hence strikes a chord among the viewers.

Vishal’s “Nan Sigappu Manithan” is the third venture from Vishal Film Factory and also the third film in Vishal-Thiru combination. Indiran (Vishal) suffers from Narcolepsy, a disorder that puts people to sleep at the slightest excitement of emotions. When his love life with Meera (Lakshmi Menon) is affected by this disorder he finds a temporary solution after which a tragedy strikes which forever alters his life.

Vishal with the tinted, and often cracked, glass is well suited for the role of a narcoleptic patient. Be it his innocence during the job-hunt or the shyness during his love-life or the anger during the revenge episode, he has very well distinguished his expressions and has lit up the screen. Though his disorder initially tickles the viewers, “the scene” totally shakes everyone to the core.

Lakshmi Menon as Vishal’s Juliet has done her part with no blemishes. If Vishal sleeps in the first half, she takes over the job during the second.

Besides the lead, the art director deserves appreciation for his well made backdrops during the desert number and also for looking into the tiniest details (the mirror in the Vishal’s home with a lot of stains is an example).

Neverthless, Thiru’s script is the first and foremost hero for spinning a web around a disorder and making it into a full length entertainer.

The only flaw that I found out: Indiran’s mother initially thinks that her son falls unconscious. Later Indiran uses water as a recovery strategy. In any normal situations the first thing we do is to use water to wake up an unconscious person. But it took Indiran over two decades to discover that water-idea. Does it add up??

Still, “Naan Sigappu Manithan”: Green Flag.

BOOK REVIEW OF "THE LOST SYMBOL" BY DAN BROWN

Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol” is the third instalment of the Robert Langdon series and is bound to continue until the author decides to rest.

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon arrives at Washington for a last time lecture on the request of Peter Solomon-his mentor alias father-figure. What awaits in D.C is not only a gruelling surprise but also a mission which he reluctantly accepts because the life of someone dear to him is hanging in balance. Langdon figures quickly that it was not Peter who invited him but a vocal-doppelganger. Before he could understand the gravity of the situation, NSA enters the scene and Langdon’s journey turns worse at every turn with the preceding minute faring better than the next.

Meanwhile Katherine Solomon, sister of Peter Solomon, the chief of Noetic Sciences in D.C is at the end of a redefine-everything-as-we-know experiment. But someone will go to any lengths to see that this experiment doesn’t come to light. Who is he? Is he the same person who puppeteers Langdon. Also Peter Solomon’s dark history comes into play and makes Langdon jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. Will he survive?

Robert Langdon is no 007 nor is he as brilliant a sleuth as Sherlock because outside his comfort zone of symbols he will be as lost in sea as MH370. But his presence of mind and a deep knowledge of Masonic history have helped him overcome every obstacle with the help of a feminine sidekick (also in Davinci code, Angels and Demons).

The 670-page novel is typical Dan brown, clings at the start, takes parallel storytelling and at the end brings them all together but maintains the suspense as much as possible. Where the book falls flat is in the last 40 pages which is nothing but philosophical explanation of the supreme power, if any, which controls us. Without that conversation between Robert and Katherine, this novel would have been a brilliant read. But that can be excused considering the wonderful 600 pages we had before.

The twist, which should have been a surprise, was something that I saw coming a mile away. The nuance of Dan Brown is spelt in every chapter and in the sketch of the characters i.e Sato being a sturdy but short Asian, Anderson being a subjugating to authority American and off course Langdon as always is helpless but key to the ploy.

It’s highly unlikely that we will have a movie version of the book because on the screen the movie will be too brilliant to understand like “Inception’. However as a book the enjoyment will be much more extensive.

The Lost Symbol: Will have you lost in the pages.

REVIEW OF "CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER"

When an adversary, long thought to be dead, crops back and takes complete control of SHIELD, Captain becomes the mole and finds himself at the receiving end of a manhunt. Captain digs deeper to find out that there is more to SHIELD than meets the eye.

“Captain America: Winter Soldier” is a fully packed explosive, much similar to those that go blazing on screen, that ignites at the start and keeps blasting its way until the end. The movie has all the proper ingredients for a full on entertainer (nefarious villain, evil plot, hero who rises, couple of sidekicks and finally the CG to help things up).

Chris Evans, as the misplaced-in-time superhero, is slowly getting accustomed to the new world (he watches SAW, Rocky) and finds new friends who later lend a helping hand. But the righteousness still prevails inside him that makes him pop out of the crowd like a 3D screen. One of the downfalls is to have not kissed since 1940s.

Scarlett Johansson is the red-haired sidekick who kicks and fires in the meanest way possible in some not very nice places and keeps the action sequences alive.

Samuel Jackson goes easy on the swearing but no so on the bad guys and maintains his macho status that the character deserves. Anthony Mackie does his part and so does Robert Redford (he was almost unrecognizable without the glasses).

Like every other Marvel movie this one is no short for witty one-liners. A sample below:

In the middle of an ambush scene,

Computer voice: Window Integrity failing

Fury                    : Restart the car.

Computer voice: Propulsion system offline.

Fury                    : Switch to flight mode.

Computer voice: Flight sensors damaged.

Fury                    : Then what’s not damaged?

Computer voice: Air Conditioning is fully operational.

A word of Caution: If you are the kind that finds the artistic movies entertaining then please avoid this one. This is for the people who enjoy action movies and seek entertainment by neglecting a few logical flaws.

Captain America: Winter Soldier, will withstand the “summer”.

REVIEW OF "NOAH"

Right from the teaser, Noah had my attention for it was a Crowe- Aronofsky project based on one of the first stories ever told. And did I come out disappointed? NO...

Story-line: That part is obvious. Noah is given the task of building an ark to shelter creatures that would restart the world after a flood destroys the present-but-sin-filled-world.

Russell Crowe, in the titular role, is all in. The whole movie shoulders on him and he has carried it all the way with ease. With a supporting cast that includes Connelly, Watson, Lernman, Winstone, Hopkins, this movie could well be one of the front-runners next year in the Oscars in the Acting category.

Next to Crowe what deserves the biggest applause is the visual department. Be it the black soil scenes or the deluge that destroys the world or “the watchers”, the CG have given a huge hand (a rarity in Aronofsky's projects) to render an epic status to this epic story. Crowe's narration of how God created the world in six days is a must watch CG-experience, probably one of the best of all time.

At 130+ minutes, this story might create a stretched feeling, especially after the deluge, but this was essential for the Noah's character and for the story to take shape.

I am a non-Christian and hence had a slight hesitation if my lack of biblical knowledge would wreak havoc to my movie experience. But, fortunately I was wrong and everything went like clockwork.

Noah- Visually beautiful, Stunning Cast and thus A MUST WATCH..

REVIEW OF "300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE"

Eight years and a spoof (Meet the Spartans) later, we have in our hands not a prequel or a sequel but a side quell.

Noam Murro’s “300 Rise of an Empire” is the story of how an Athenian General, Themistokles, launched a naval sabotage against the Persians causing distress much similar to what Leonidas does on land. This is perhaps the first time that I have come across a period movie based on naval warfare. As queen Gorgo puts it “the war takes place on the tidal waves of the soldier’s blood”.

Athenian general Themistokles ends the Battle of Marathon with a single arrow and becomes a legend over night. Ten years later he gathers a navy against Persian invasion led by Artemisia (Eva Green) who is as ruthless as Xerxes is. In the meantime Leonidas marches to the hot gates with his brave 300 and wages his own battle. All hell breaks loose after the slaughter of Leonidas and his “abs”tastic 300.

“Seize the glory” might seem catchy but the true undertone of the movie is “vengeance”. Xerxes avenges his father, Artemisia avenges her family, and off course Queen Gorgo avenges Leonidas and the 300.

Despite being a different take with a different lead cast, the movie has its similarities to 300(2006) thanks to Zack Snyder’s effort behind the screenplay. If Leonidas’ red cape was an indication to the bloodshed that follows, the Athenian’s blue cape is an indication of the naval fight that lies ahead. No matter how well the two stories are connected the towering presence of Gerard Butler is deeply missed. Eva Green appears to have taken the major shouldering. The occasional flashbacks cause a somber effect in the screenplay (Artemisia’s for example).

The major credit goes to cg team that has made a nothing but green-background-studio-set into a thousand year old floating battlefield. Despite the gut wrenching, blood pilfering, bowel squeezing moments during the war, the movie lacks the substance that made 300 a special movie. Yes, this time too there is a father-son angle but that doesn’t engage us as much as it did the last time. Perhaps it was the Spartan’s death wish of a climax or the 300 times 6 abs or Zack Snyder at the helm or all of it together, it was missing this time around.

By itself, “Rise of Empire” is a good Greek-naval-period movie, but as a sequel to the “300” it falls short of the expectations that it garnered. It’s still a good piece of entertainment but some fans of “300”, like me, will feel hollow when they exit the screen.

REVIEW OF NIMIRNDHU NIL

 I accidentally stepped inside the premiere of "Nimirndhu Nil" (NN) instead of "Thekkidi". But at the end of the day, I didn't regret the decision because NN is worth the money and the whistles.

Aravind Sivasamy (Ravi) is an straightforward-modern-day-Harichandra who sticks to the rules to the last inch. When his actions rub several people on the wrong side, they strike a major blow, literally, which forces Aravind to take a drastic step that alters the face of nation, as we know it, completely.

NN is a typical Shankar movie plot handled by Samuthrakani in his own style. When Ravi goes through a single day experience similar to Ambi (Anniyan) he wages a one-man-stand quoting ancient Tamil quotes and ends up facing the modern day wrath. Therein starts the cat and tiger (not mouse) game that hooks us till the end.

Ravi & Ravi with his big-right-eye and tall-stature has made the most of the responsibility on his shoulder. His naive attitude turned villainous gives the actor lots of scenes to flex his acting muscles. Though the film handles the serious issue of corruption it has its light moments too. Every character has a funny bone inside them that pokes out even in the middle of a very serious scene.

Amala Paul has little to contribute as does Suri. Gopinath is second best to Ravi with his Neeya-Naana Charisma mirrored through his role as a TV Anchor in the movie too. Songs, though only 4, are a let down. Nasser and Sarath Kumar are breezy cameos. 11 member committee of the "147" are good comic reliefs. The biggest tickler was off screen, when the on screen characters chanted "Aravind", few naughties behind me screamed "Kejriwal".

In an attempt to skin out corruption,the screenplay has slightly exaggerated here and there with a few logical slip ups. But, ultimately Aal izz Well.

REVIEW OF "RUMMY"

When a couple of youths fall in love with girls from orthodox families thing turn for the worse and plays mishap with their lives in the worst possible manner.

“Rummy” sounds like the name of a modern day thriller-drama but what we have in our hands is a love story set in a 1980s village. The storyline has been chewed like a used tobacco, countless times and hence the biggest surprise in the movie is that there are still takers for this Paleolithic story filled with sickles, blood and of course, love.

The story leads to a lazy screenplay which in turn is filled with weak characters, (including Vijay Sethupathy) numerous plot holes and a very average acting that lends nothing but trouble to the audience. Many, including me, went in for Vijay Sethupathy but believe me, this is one Vijay Sethupathy movie that you should miss.

Till the end, the question has been left unanswered: Why is the movie titled “Rummy”??? May be the director was looking for a trump card which he never found but instead found a “joker” through the audience.

Songs play havoc to the already slow moving screenplay.This is not the water-tight Vijay Sethupathy that we expected. But instead a movie in which he was cast just to add publicity and bring in an otherwise hesitant audience.

Bottom line: Gambling (in the name of “Rummy”) is injurious to your time and money.