pk (2014)

Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Story: Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Saurabh Shukla, Boman Irani
Music: Ajay Atul, Shantanu Moitra, Ankit Tiwari
Time: 153 minutes
Bottom-line: Perhaps the best film of 2014

You have probably heard this a hundred times before, so here it goes once again: only Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan could have pulled off pk. The latest Aamir Khan film is truly amazing, thanks to the brilliant acting, superb storyline, and the way it is presented on screen. pk features Anushka Sharma, Saurabh Shukla, Boman Irani in the lead roles, with Sushant Singh Rajput and Sanjay Dutt in the supporting roles. Aamir’s character of PK was inspired by the real-life rationalist Abraham Kovoor.

Aamir as PK

Rajasthan, India: An alien (Aamir) lands in the desert. He wears (only!) a locket, which is the remote control to call his spaceship. Soon after he lands, the remote gets stolen, and he is stranded on Earth. Over the next few days, he mingles with humans, by stealing clothes and money. He learns Hindi and is able to understand that the thief would have probably sold the locket at Delhi.
Bruges, Belgium: TV reporter Jaggu (Anushka Sharma) falls in love with an architecture student, Sarfaraz (Rajput), a Muslim from Pakistan. Her father dislikes this, and goes to a god-man Tapasvi Maharaj (Shukla), who predicts that Sarfaraz will ditch her. Sure enough, things go as predicted, and a disheartened Jaggu comes to New Delhi.
Back in Delhi, months later, Jaggu, now a reporter, meets the alien, who has been named PK by the people (peekay in Hindi means tipsy), because of his crazy behaviour. On interviewing him for a news story, she comes to know PK’s suffering because of religion. Confused by the different customs and religious practices, PK, in the hope that praying to God will help him get his remote back, only ends up humiliated and hurt. Inspired by PK’s ideas, Jaggu decides to bring about a change in the people’s religious beliefs with his help, with the promise of helping him get back his remote. What they do together forms the rest of the film.

Anushka Sharma as Jaggu, also the narrator
of the story

The story deals with a “sensitive” topic (especially in India): religion. A satire on “God and godmen” (as Hirani put it), pk hopes to be an eye-opener to those who blindly follow the various customs and practices in India. Most of us were, I believe, told not to ask questions about such practices, but to follow them because our previous generations were doing the same thing. Some followed them, some ignored them, but no one really questioned them. Only someone who has never seen such things before, only someone who has been affected by an issue questions it. That’s probably the reason why Aamir’s character is an alien: a rational being who questions everything, to whom everything must have a reason.

Saurabh Shukla as Tapasvi Maharaj, the
main antagonist

After getting whacked several times due to the different rules of religions set by the different “managers”, PK decides it would be best to follow all religions, and this also results in failure. PK’s theory is simple: all of us put a call to God, but we all call the “wrong number”. Some fake God fools around with us, making us perform meaningless rituals. According to him, there are two Gods: one, who created us, and the other, whom we created. The scene where PK asks a bunch of people from different religions to go before Tapasvi Maharaj, to prove that all religions are identical, and the scene where he explains how people’s fear makes them blindly follow things are interesting to watch.

Sushant Singh Rajput as Sarfaraz

That is basically the main theme of the film. The other themes include the romance between Sarfaraz and Jaggu, and, as the story progresses, the romance between Jaggu and PK. (Spoiler) The ending is kind of emotional, but the sentence which Jaggu says is what I found interesting: He learnt from us how to lie, and he taught us how to love each other. He loved me enough, to let me go. There are plenty of jokes, though, unlike 3 Idiots, half of them are meant for adults. The songs were not that great, but they were not bad either.

Aamir Khan’s performance is stunning! From the minute he exits his spaceship, till the last scene, his energy and charisma never reduce, and in every scene, he surprises us, either with his actions, expressions or dialogues. This is one of his best performances yet, and to enjoy it best, you have to see it yourself! The supporting cast has also done extremely well. Anushka Sharma certainly surprised me with a fantastic performance as well (but the reason behind the new hair style still puzzles me!) Boman Irani, Sanjay Dutt and Sushant Singh Rajput have comparatively very less screen time that their roles are more of cameo appearances, but nevertheless, sufficient enough to make an impact.

Sanjay Dutt as Bhairon Bhai, a friend of PK
who helps him till he reaches Delhi

pk puts forth a strong message that all of must follow God, and that we must not fall prey to the meaningless rituals that will supposedly get us what we want. True devotion does not need extra perks to turn God’s attention towards you. Though one can find that some ideas have been taken from other films, the final execution, thanks to Hirani’s direction, and the presentation, thanks to Aamir’s (and others’) performances, make pk unique. There are enough jokes to entertain you, and somehow the message the film is supposed to deliver also sinks in. pk, in my view, is perhaps the best film of 2014.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Despicable Me (2010)

Director: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Story: Sergio Pablos
Cast: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand
Music: Pharrell Williams, Heitor Pereira
Time: 94 minutes
Bottom-line: Not a great story, but fun to watch 

One thing makers of animated films will worry about, in my view, is that their film might be a bit childish. A good animation film provides regular laughs, has a good story and also some sort of moral that lingers in your mind. Despicable Me has a charm of its own that makes it interesting to watch, even if the story is not up to the mark. The film stars Steve Carell, Jason Segel, and Russell Brand in the lead roles, with Miranda Cosgrove, Julie Andrews, Dana Gaier and Elsie Kate in the supporting roles.

Super-villain Gru

Super-villain Gru (Carell) has just suffered a setback – another new villain has made headlines by stealing the Pyramid of Giza, thereby becoming the more popular super-villain. The thief turns out to be Vector (Segel), a villain who commits crimes with “both direction and magnitude”. To earn back his fame, Gru devices a new plan: he will shrink and steal the Earth’s moon, with the help of his colleague Dr. Nefario and his minions. However, the moment Gru successfully steals the shrink ray from a secret research facility, Vector grabs it from him. When Gru’s attempts to get it back fail, he notices three orphan girls who are able to enter Vector’s fortress because they sell cookies. So Gru decides to adopt the three girls. The adventures the four of them have form the rest of the film.

The girls Edith (left), Agnes (middle) and
Margo

I liked the way the characters have been created. Gru, a so-called super-villain who goes around freezing people with a “freeze-ray”; the incidents during the song I’m having a bad bad day illustrate his “evilness”. Then there’s Vector, who seems like a lame character, till it is revealed that he is the one who stole the pyramid. Each of the three girls has different traits too: Margo, the eldest, who is always protective of the other two; Edith, who is known for her short temper, and Agnes, the youngest, cutest and most innocent of the three. But the main reason the film created an impact on the viewers was because of Gru’s minions: the yellow dwarf-like beings in his lab. Somehow their appearance and voice has made them perhaps the most popular cartoon characters of today.

Vector, the antagonist

The contrast between the characters itself creates some humour. The story focuses on how Gru goes from super bad to super dad. But the story seemed to be directionless... I mean, though all the events are connected, somehow the narrative wasn’t that good. What made it interesting, however, is the animation and jokes. I agree with the Rotten Tomatoes consensus of the film, which states that the film has heavily borrowed from The Looney Tunes. Some jokes resembled those you would have probably seen in The Looney Tunes Show, and if you loved them then, you will enjoy them now. This is what I meant when I said that though the story as such is average, watching the film is interesting.

Some of the minions... 

The score was good, and the animation as well (especially the way the minions have been created!!). The characters, except the three girls, all look kind of weird: Gru, with his Pinocchio-like nose and extremely thin legs (and his monster-like dog), Vector with his big geeky spectacles, Dr. Nefario with his oddly shaped head... Steve Carell has done a fantastic job – it was impossible for me to recognise his voice in the film. The others who have lent their voice have also done well.

Despicable Me is a film that doesn’t quite match the standard of Pixar films, but nevertheless, it is a fun-filled family entertainer. Watch for the animation graphics and the jokes. This is one of those films that somehow manage to lighten your heart as soon as you start watching.

My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 81%

Thegidi (2014)

English translation: Deception
Director: P. Ramesh
Story: P. Ramesh
Cast: Ashok Selvan, Janani Iyer 
Music: Nivas K. Prasanna, Selva Rani
Time: 116 minutes
Bottom-line: A smartly scripted detective thriller

I don’t think Thegidi had a good run at the box office here, so the film went unnoticed by me. But soon there came a time when everyone around me was saying, “Watch Thegidi – it’s awesome!” And indeed, this deceptively clever thriller film directed by P. Ramesh, starring Ashok Selvan and Janani Iyer in the lead roles, is quite impressive. What makes it so, according to me, is that it provides the typical entertainment any other normal Tamil film – that runs for about three hours – would provide, in less than two hours.

Ashok Selvan as Vetri

A criminology student and a fresh graduate, Vetri (Selvan) aspires to become a detective. His observation skills earn the admiration of his professor, who advices him to join a detective firm. He soon becomes successful in his job. However, on such a mission, he gets caught by a young woman, Madhu (Janani Iyer). Surprisingly, she turns out to be his next target assigned by the company to him. But he falls in love with her. Things start to get weird when Vetri reads the newspaper a few days later: he comes across articles which say that two of the people he investigated had died in accidents. Though not charged with anything, Vetri feels guilty because he had given practically every detail about them to his company. Are these deaths truly accidental? Or is there a much bigger scam behind all this?

I am one such person who is willing to appreciate almost any Tamil film that deviates from the normal masala type. This happens to be the main reason why Thegidi impressed me immediately. When a film provides thrills, romance, comedy and a good twist ending, all within two hours, one can say that the screen time has been used very effectively. Every scene in the film is “to the point” – it starts where it should and ends where it should. Another thing I liked about the film is the fact that the director kept the main character as a detective, instead of a cop.

Janani as Madhu

The title sequence is interesting: just like that of Catch me if You Can, the scenes during the opening credits display scenes from the film, which occur later. There are a couple of songs, but the good thing is that during the song “Vinmeen vithayil”, the whole “romance” between Vetri starts and ends, in the sense that no extra time is wasted for this purpose. And of course, the song was quite melodious as well. The story progresses at a break-neck pace, especially in the second half. The twist ending is sort of unexpected, and the climax is brilliant... similar to a Nolan film, if I may say so.

The cast is almost entirely new. This is Ashok Selvan’s third major film, so though his acting was not exactly “first-class”, he has done a decent job. Janani Iyer has performed well too. Jayaprakash, who is probably the only experienced actor, comes only in the second half, as a police inspector who helps Vetri. So though acting is the only aspect where Thegidi doesn’t come up to my expectations, in every other aspect, it is one of the best films of 2014. The script, score (in particular), songs and the climax are brilliant. Thegidi has no big stars, no lavish settings, no big-budget song or action sequences, but it provides your money’s worth of entertainment with no shortcomings.

My Rating: 4/5

Kahaani (2012)

English translation: Story
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Story: Ritesh Shah, Sutapa Sikdar, Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chatterjee ,Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Music: Clinton Cerejo
Time: 122 minutes
Bottom-line: A new, interesting type of thriller... enjoyable all the way

In recent times, for once, a Hindi film that is categorised as a thriller, actually is one! Following No One Killed Jessica and The Dirty Picture, Vidya Balan stars in yet another “woman-centric” film, Kahaani. Taking place in the city of Kolkata, the film tells the story of a pregnant woman in search of her husband. Parambrata Chatterjee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui play the supporting roles.

2008, Kolkata: A poison gas attack kills several people in one compartment of the underground metro.
2010, Kolkata: In the festive season of Durga Puja, Vidya Bagchi (Balan), a pregnant woman, lands at the Kolkata airport, from London. She goes straight to the police station, introducing herself as a software engineer. She says her husband, Arnab, is missing. With the help of another friendly inspector, Rana (Chatterjee), she goes around, investigating in all the places her husband had been in. She comes to know that her husband resembles a certain Milan Damji, whose very name becomes responsible for the news of Vidya reaching the Intelligence Bureau. Soon, two other people become involved: IB officer A. Khan (Siddiqui), and an undercover assassin, Bob Biswas. When there is festivity all around, what does one woman do to uncover the truth about her husband, who (as the story progresses) seems to be nothing more than a kahaani?

Vidya Balan as Vidya Bagchi

The way the script has been written and the way the film has been shot are such that all the events seem to be very realistic. Kahaani made use of a technique called guerrilla film-making. Basically it means that the crew used the locations in the city instead of sets, and they took quick shots without warning or obtaining permission to shoot. In this way the film portrays the culture and tradition of Bengalis (during Durga Puja) without taking too much time.

The story is narrated at a brisk pace. Initially you are made to think that the story is just about a woman searching for her husband, but by about thirty minutes into the film you sort of realise that there is much more to the story than that, especially after the entry of Bob Biswas’ character. The first sequence of the poison gas attack seems unrelated, but its significance is known soon enough. Kahaani enters my list of films where the twist ending is in some ways the best part and in some ways, is a major disappointment. The hundred and five minute build up till the climax puts loads of questions into your mind, almost all of which are answered in the last few minutes. The only problem is that the ending puts some new ones into your mind, for which you can decide your own answers. As a viewer you may expect some hints (as I had written in my review of Now You See Me) and in Kahaani, the hints are very subtle, but nevertheless, they are good enough for you to guess the twist ending.

Parambrata Chatterjee as Rana

From her role in Paa, Vidya Balan has given several successful, powerful roles as the lead character, especially in films categorised as “woman-centric”. In fact, her roles in such Hindi films have earned her the tag of “female-hero”. In Kahaani, her performance was a class apart. Despite being pregnant, and though it seems certain that her husband does not exist, the way she shows courage and determination (even breaking laws to get what she wants) was quite interesting to watch. Chances are that you will be speechless (if not shocked!) after seeing this performance. Though Balan’s show may have overshadowed the roles of Chatterjee and Siddiqui, who technically are the other “lead actors”, they have given commendable performances as well.

Leading from the front, Vidya Balan is perhaps the main reason for the film’s success. Of course, the script was excellent, and, like I said before, the story actually is thrilling. I personally felt that the climax was fitting (though I had to create my own answers for few unanswered questions) but the point is, no other ending could possibly tie up all the other loose ends. This is one film that hardly disappoints... certainly worth a watch!

My Rating: 4.5/5

Interstellar (2014)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Story: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine
Music: Hans Zimmer
Time: 169 minutes
Bottom-line: Jaw-dropping, enthralling... Nolan’s imagination has no bounds

OK, I’ll be frank – I have been planning to watch this film since June. Finally, after a couple of hectic weeks I had the chance to view the latest Nolan film: the science fiction drama, Interstellar. Now, this film is unlike anything Nolan has ever done before, and though it may not be his best, it is arguably his grandest film till date. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain in the lead roles, with Michael Caine and Mackenzie Foy in the supporting roles.

Mankind was born on Earth. It was never meant to die here. In a futuristic world, crop blight becomes responsible for the majority of the population to turn to agriculture for a living. One such farmer and ex-NASA pilot, Cooper (McConauhey), lives with his father-in-law, teenage son and 10-year old daughter, Murphy (Foy). Murphy is very much interested in science, but still believes that a ghost in her room is trying to communicate with her. Cooper figures out that the “ghost” is an unknown source sending coded messages, which lead to a secret NASA installation, led by Dr. Brand (Caine). He tells Cooper that an alien intelligence has created a wormhole near Saturn, perhaps offering humanity a chance to survive on another planet. Cooper is requested to fly a crew to search for potentially habitable worlds. Interstellar is about the adventures experienced by the crew in their journey, and whether or not they are able to return safely, back to Earth.

McConaughey as Cooper

Watching a Nolan film usually has three steps: one, start watching, hoping for all sorts of fantastic stuff. Two, after enjoying most of the film, slowly start scratching your head because things get really confusing. Three, come home, think about the film, read some analysis, and more often than not, plan to watch it again. Then why the hell are his films so good? Because he does not just put some nonsense together to rattle your brain; once you understand it properly, the story actually makes a lot of sense.

Hathaway as Amelia Brand

The story starts out slowly, mainly highlighting the father-daughter relationship between Cooper and Murphy. From the entry of Caine’s character, the science part begins. Basically his idea is, “It is not about saving the planet; it is about leaving it. Brand is working on some (sophisticated, of course) gravity equation, which, on solving, can give a way to take most of the humans on earth to the other planet, if found habitable. Once the crew is launched into space, the story becomes similar to that of Gravity. So why is Interstellar different? Because Nolan introduces some sentiment into the storyline.

This film has more content about love and emotions than any other Nolan film. Why? That you will know towards the end. The interesting thing, however, is that there is no non-linear narrative structure (yes, that’s true!). Now why would Nolan do that? That’s because he has gone to the next level of “playing with time”. You must realise that he has taken the viewers to a place where the word “time” has no meaning! I mean, in space, especially when it comes to black holes and such, a whole set of associated terms like relativity, time dilation etc come into picture. In fact, in one planet the crew visits, every hour spent there is equivalent to twenty three Earth years, because of the severe gravitational time dilation. So, in case you haven’t watched the film yet, just browse through some space and time related articles and books to have a better understanding of the film. The ending gets really confusing, so don’t worry about it too much. With time you will start to make sense out of it.

Chastain as (the adult) Murphy

One drawback of the film, I felt, is that it is way too scientific. The works of physicist Kip Thorne was the inspiration for the film. I am not in a position to say if it is scientifically accurate or not (not that I care) but though it is understandable that Nolan wanted to make the film as accurate as possible, I didn’t find any need for so much “geek talk”. The dialogues should have been written in a better way. There is no ambiguity in the climax (I guess that’s a disappointment to many) but a clear indication of a sequel, in my view. The visual effects are dazzling... and mind you, this film is in 2D! The wormhole, the other planets and in fact everything is so beautifully created and superbly shot.

McConaughey leads from the front, with a commendable performance. Anne Hathaway, who plays another astronaut, Amelia Brand, has done well too. But the better performance was given by Jessica Chastain, who plays the adult Murphy. And of course, not to forget Mackenzie Foy, whose role as the 10-year-old Murphy was interesting to watch. Matt Damon also has a cameo role in the film. The film’s score is brilliant – Hans Zimmer has put together some great pieces of music. His work was apparently quite secretive, because he had announced that the music that you hear in the trailers were not his compositions. Anyway, the final result is impressive.

In Interstellar, Nolan takes you to the next level of science fiction movies. Of course, films like these have probably come before, but he manages to take the theme a little further. Like I said, just brush up a little on some science terminologies and you should be fine. You may have been able to make sense of other films, but Interstellar requires you to have some scientific knowledge as well. One you satisfy this requirement, get ready, to be dazzled!

My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 73%

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Story: George C. Johnson, Jack Golden Russell
Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts
Music: David Holmes
Time: 117 minutes
Bottom-line: Highly impressive and stylish; a no-holds-barred joy ride

The early 2000s may be Soderbergh’s best period in cinema, as he directed three highly successful films during that time: Traffic, Erin Brockovich and Ocean’s Eleven. A comparatively light-hearted heist drama, the film stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia and Matt Damon in the lead roles, with Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle and many others playing the supporting roles. If Ocean’s Eleven is Soderbergh’s definition of a “fun-filled film”, he couldn’t have defined it in a better way than this.

Clooney as Daniel Ocean

Daniel Ocean (Clooney) is just released from prison. Violating his parole, he goes to LA to meet up with his friend "Rusty" Ryan (Pitt) to propose a plan for a robbery. The plan is to rob three casinos in Las Vegas: The Bellagio, MGM Grand and The Mirage, simultaneously. All three are owned by Terry Benedict (Garcia). Realising they need a big crew, Rusty and Daniel recruit eight more members, each with his own skill. They also receive help from Reuben, a man wanting to take revenge on Terry for bankrupting him. When Rusty finds out that Daniel is performing this heist because his ex-wife Tess (Roberts) is now with Terry, he starts to get suspicious. 3 Casinos. 11 Guys. 150 Million Bucks. Ready to Win Big?

Pitt as "Rusty" Ryan

There is no actual “plot development” here, but the main story starts right from the beginning. Except for a few scenes just to introduce the different members of the crew, there is no unnecessary scene or sequence. This is probably the main reason why Soderbergh was able to provide loads of entertainment within two hours of screen time. Then again, there is no character development either, but there is no need for that here. This is a film that focuses on how eleven men rob three casinos, and that’s it. Compare this with some film like Speed: a pure “popcorn thriller”. You wanted entertainment, you got it. That’s the reason I said Ocean’s Eleven is a comparatively light-hearted film.

Garcia as Terry Benedict (left) and Damon
as Linus

The acting is quite excellent too. George Clooney brings in style that can be associated with him alone. Accompanying him with an equally good lead performance is Brad Pitt. Others like Damon and Cheadle (who put on a cockney accent for this film) have done well too. Another aspect of the film that I liked is the humour. The script is witty, funny and crisp, but the actual humour and style that is screen on screen is mainly due to the acting. The dialogues, facial expressions and body language of the actors make this possible. Andy Garcia and Julia Roberts don’t disappoint either.

Julia Roberts as Tess 

I liked the background score by David Holmes, and the cinematography was quite good as well. There is no particular scene to look out for; every sequence has its own charm: a little thrill, little humour... This is not exactly a serious crime drama, but who cares! Ocean’s Eleven provides much more than just a caper film: it is perhaps one of the few films to make you sit on the edge of you seat for a moment, and immediately make you roll back laughing. And yes, there are as many twists and turns in the story as you would see in any other good crime film.

The members of "Ocean's Eleven"

Powered by terrific lead performances by Clooney and co., along with superb direction from Steven Soderbergh, Ocean’s Eleven promises entertainment every inch of the way. As long as you are 15 or older, you can watch the film with family. Don’t expect anything – just start watching and be surprised by what you see!

My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 82%

Now You See Me (2013)

Director: Louis Leterrier
Story: Boaz Yakin, Edward Ricourt
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Mélanie Laurent, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman
Music: Brian Tyler
Time: 125 minutes
Bottom-line: Now I see why this is a stupid film

When it comes to films about magic (or anything closely related to magic), I have very high expectations, because my benchmark for this genre is Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige. So well, Louis Leterrier’s Now You See Me proved to be a major disappointment for me, thanks to the lousy acting, average storyline and the attempt to pack a truckload of “entertainment” within two hours, thereby compromising on other important aspects. “Look closely, because the closer you think you are, the less you will actually see” is the film’s tagline, and in my view, is should have been, “The more you expect from this film, the less you get”.

Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas

Harrelson as McKinney 

Four exceptional magicians, called the Four Horsemen: Daniel Atlas (Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Harrelson), Henly Reeves (Fisher) and Jack Wilder (Franco) perform street magic in different parts of the US. They are brought together by an unknown man. One year later, they perform in Las Vegas, and in one trick, they rob a bank in Paris by teleporting a man there and asking him to activate the air duct, thereby shifting the money from Paris to Las Vegas. The money is actually found to be missing, and the four magicians are arrested. After being investigated by Agent Dylan Rhodes (Ruffalo) and Alma Dray (Laurent), they are released due to lack of evidence. The agents decide to approach Thaddeus Bradley (Freeman), an ex-magician who exposes other magicians’ tricks. What is the Horsemen’s actual purpose? Is there a fifth horseman who is aiding them? Who is actually chasing whom? Watch the film to find out...

Fisher as Henly Reeves

Franco as Jack Wilder

                                            First of all, too many characters! Well, all the characters played a role, and all of them were sort of important, but the point is that when you have 7-8 main characters, and you don’t develop even one of them, it sort of gets “stuffy”. Of course, if you say that films like Ocean’s Eleven didn’t have any character development either, that is because there was no need for it. Here, the twist in the end sort of makes it necessary. I feel that a twist ending (especially when it has something to do with the nature of a character) has a better impact on you when there are clues that help you guess what’s coming, but you still don’t, and you are like, “Oh! How did I miss that??”

Ruffalo as Agent Rhodes and
Laurent as Agent Alma Dray

Except for maybe Morgan Freeman and (surprisingly) Mark Ruffalo, the acting was horrible. Jesse Eisenberg’s fast and catchy dialogues worked well in The Social Network, but not here. Michael Caine has a small role as the Horsemen’s sponsor and insurance magnate, Arthur Tressler, and for the small role, his acting was good.  Woody Harrelson was okay, but I felt that Isla Fisher and Franco tried to be a bit too stylish in their roles, and hence, didn’t perform well.

Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley 

The technical aspects are where the film finds success. The score, visual effects and cinematography were excellent. So I am guessing the director tried to use these to cover up the film’s poor story-telling, but it didn’t work out. Now You See Me starts off well, and initially you are glued to the story because somehow people like films where a bunch of characters are brought together for some “mission”. You might even enjoy the entire film. But I watched it expecting perhaps a bit too much, and hence was disappointed. Some more focus should be given on character and plot development (perhaps a few clues leading to the twist ending), but if you just want to see some “cool” magic tricks even if the acting and story are not so good, then you can go ahead and watch the film. But for a really good film of this genre, I strongly recommend The Prestige.

My Rating: 2.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 50%

Angadi Theru (2010)

English Translation: Market Street
Director: Vasanthabalan 
Story: Vasanthabalan, Jeyamohan
Cast: Mahesh, Anjali
Music: Vijay Antony, G. V. Prakash Kumar
Time: 157 minutes
Bottom-line: A vivid eye-opener

One year has gone by since the inception of Revisiting Films with KRK, and on this day, I review one of my favourite Tamil films of this decade.

Anyone familiar with the shopping locations in Chennai will know that Ranganathan Street in T.Nagar is the ultimate place for any sort of textile shopping. But behind the glamorous shopping malls and shops, there lies a dark side. Angadi Theru explores this dark side, that is, it talks about a textile showroom, but from the workers’ point of view. The film features debutant Mahesh and Anjali (in her second major film), with A. Venkatesh and Pandi in the supporting roles.

The story begins with Jyoti Lingam (Mahesh) and Kani (Anjali) roaming about in the streets at night, trying to find a place to sleep. As they finally find a place to sleep along with workers from a construction site, an accident causes a lorry to run over most of the people. The story shifts to a small village in Tamil Nadu, where Lingu lives. After his father dies in an accident, he becomes the sole earner of the family. His friend Marimuthu and he get a job in a textile store in the famous Ranganathan Street. Though initially they are happy to be earning money, they soon realise that the job is a nightmare. The store supervisor brutally beats up anyone who violates the rules or fools around during working hours. Lingu falls in love with Kani, a bold and fearless sales girl. The pitiable working conditions, the difficulties the workers face, and what sacrifices they make are the main themes explored in Angadi Theru.

New actors, relatively new director, completely new theme... how will it run in theatres? A big round of applause for Vasanthabalan for making the film despite these questions that would have been in his mind as well. The reason for directing Angadi Theru is perhaps to indirectly portray the pitiable working condition of employees in an actual textile showroom in Ranganathan Street. There have been cases of employees/customers being abused. And consequently, the reason the film is successful is because of its raw content and realism.

Anjali as Kani

The dialogues of the film reveal a lot of things. When the villagers are recruited for the job, the employers make sure to choose only the orphans, because “only they will do the job properly without giving trouble”. Once the workers enter the shop, they have to be report on time or else they lose a part of their salary for every minute they are late. The mess is literally a mess, where all the workers gobble up food (just in order not to starve) in dirty and unhealthy conditions, and even snatch plates from others to get food. An ex-employee tells Lingu that working twelve hours a day without sitting down ever for a minute has now permanently damaged his legs and made him immobile. “They take you in, drain your energy, and throw you out like garbage” is what he says. Lingu is made to run up and down five floors multiple times to get saris, and when found taking rest, he is abused by the supervisor. Another incident shows a sales girl committing suicide when another salesman rejects her love due to fear of the supervisor.

While this is the main theme, the romance between Lingu and Kani is the secondary theme. There is also some comedy here and there, thanks to Marimuthu’s character. Another thing I noticed is the way the workers express “happiness”. Are there really happy moments for them? Well, that’s pretty much the point: their working conditions are so pitiable that anything other than work brings them joy. In the beginning of the film, just roaming on the streets, splashing rain water on each other brings Kani and Lingu immense joy. Later in the story, when actress Sneha comes to the store to shoot an advertisement, all the men folk immediately bathe and clean up because they are so happy just to see her. The song “Unn Perai Sollum” is another example. Both Lingu and Kani are locked up in the store, and they are afraid of getting caught. But they decide to look at the bright side: when else do they have a chance of trying all the clothes that they otherwise only see and sell? Oblivious to the fact that they are caught on CCTV, they have fun (and for once, the hero and heroine donning a variety of costumes in the middle of a song is not surprising!).

Mahesh as Lingu

Angadi Theru could well be Anjali’s magnum opus. All emotions flow in freely to her face, be it fear, happiness, anger etc. The film gave her instantaneous fame, and she went on to win several awards for this role. Mahesh is impressive in his debut film, with an equally powerful lead performance. I think that’s why the film was able to portray the pitiable conditions properly (I mean, the locals will never ever remain silent if some popular hero gets beaten up by another character, without paying back!). A. Venkatesh, who plays the lewd and aggressive supervisor, has done well in playing the main antagonist role. Pandi, who plays Marimuthu brings in little humour in an otherwise tragic film.

A view of Ranganathan street (yes, it is always this
crowded!)

Look out for the songs “Aval Appadi Ondrum Azhagillai” and “Unn Perai Sollum”. The photography is excellent, for it is able to capture all the brutality, violence, happiness and romance perfectly. In fact, many sources report that most of the film was shot using hidden cameras in the actual street in Chennai. The cumulative effect of the brilliant acting, photography, and the scorching storyline which is brought to life in this vivid, raw, powerful manner leave an impact on you that you will never forget for a long time. Once you watch the film (and this is not a film that you just keep watching multiple times because you are bored), your shopping experience will never be the same again. Angadi Theru is not a pleasant watch, but it is certainly, a must-watch.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Traffic (2000)

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Screenplay: Stephen Gaghan (based on Traffik by Alastair Reid)
Cast: Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Catherine Zeta-Jones 
Music: Cliff Martinez
Time: 147 minutes
Bottom-line: Traffic provides entertainment thanks to its powerful narrative structure and some good bits of acting

Steven Soderbergh won the Academy Award for Best Director for this 2000 thriller film, Traffic. With a huge cast and multiple interwoven storylines, the film is about drug trade (illegal of course!) from the viewpoint of different people. Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro and Catherine Zeta-Jones play the lead roles, with Dennis Quaid, Erika Christensen and Luis Guzmán in the supporting roles. Three storylines, two hours of thrill, one film: Traffic.

Douglas as Robert Wakefield

Mexico: Police officer Javier Rodriguez (Del Toro) and his partner Manolo Sanchez are hired by General Salazar to help him wipe out the Tijuana Cartel. Javier agrees to work for Salazar, but soon it becomes clear that Salazar himself is not clean, and Javier is indirectly working for a criminal...

Washington/Ohio: Robert Wakefield, an Ohio judge, is appointed to head the President's Office of National Drug Control Policy, taking on the title drug czar. However, as his own home, his daughter Caroline, (Christiansen) is becoming increasingly addicted to cocaine.

San Diego: Two DEA officers, Ray (Guzman) and Gordon (Cheadle) arrest Eduardo Ruiz, a high-stakes drug dealer. Wanting immunity, he gives up his boss, Carlos Ayala, one of the biggest drug distributers. His pregnant wife, Helena (Zeta-Jones), faces death threats. She decides to hire an assassin to kill Ruiz, thereby ending the case against her husband. As the story progresses, we see that all the characters get engaged in a game – a game, where nobody gets away clean. 

Del Toro as Javier Rodriguez 

While many critics praised the acting of everyone, my opinion differs in some ways. First, I liked Douglas’ acting, for more than the character of a judge, he played the role of a father very well. Benicio Del Toro was good, but not so good that he deserved the Oscar for his role... Gladiator was also released the same year, and Joaquin Phoenix, who played Commodus, did a much better job than Del Toro in this film. Dennis Quaid’s role seems a mystery to me – I still don’t find any significance of it (though technically he is a lead actor in the film). The three actors in the San Diego storyline: Don Cheadle, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman have given very good performances. An unnoticed performance may be that of Erika Christiansen, who plays Robert’s drug-addicted daughter. Though she may not be as well-known as the lead actors, her performance was quite excellent.

Cheadle as Gordon, with Guzman as Ray (behind)

Now to the aspect that makes the film unique, the narrative structure. There is no proper order – the tracks interchange every now and then, but Soderbergh has done it in such a way that it is not too confusing to follow all the three storylines. Unlike my (and I am guessing many others’ as well) expectations, the tracks don’t converge to a thrilling finale or something... most of the time they are independent of the others, and in fact, no character from one story meets any character from another (except one scene where Javier, Salazar and Robert meet). However, all the incidents are significant in some way or the other, and together produce a good film.

Catherine Zeta-Jones as Helena

Another interesting thing I found about the story is the realism. The script is cleverly written, for it is a story from the viewpoint of people one would usually associate with drugs: a politician, a cop, and a user. There are no sudden heroics, no unnecessary stunts, but just a straightforward story. that is the reason the film is able to leave an impact on you.

The photography was also good. I liked the way Soderbergh distinguished the storylines using camera work. The Mexico track has a particular bright yellowish shade to it, and the Wakefield storyline had another shade. With masterful direction from Soderbergh, good performances from an ensemble cast, and an excellent screenplay, Traffic isn’t exactly a pure thriller, but it is, for sure, a terrific entertainer. It may not be the director’s best film, but it might be the best film to be made on the topic of drug trade and trafficking.

My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 92%

Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? (2010)

English translation: Dear guest, when will you leave?
Director: Ashwni Dhir
Screenplay: Tushar Hiranandani, Robin Bhatt, Rutvik Oza 
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Paresh Rawal, Konkona Sen Sharma
Music: Pritam
Time: 115 minutes
Bottom-line: Nice, simple family entertainer

Ever had a guest who irritated you to the core? Someone you wanted to kick out but just couldn’t? Well then this is just the film for you! Ashwni Dhir’s comedy is a movie that revolves around a family welcoming a guest into their home, only to suffer in his presence. The film stars Ajay Devgn, Paresh Rawal, Konkona Sen Sharma in the lead roles.

Film script writer Puneet (Devgn), his wife Munmun (Sen Sharma) and their son Ayush live in Mumbai. A normal middle class family, they seem to be well off, with the only problem being that they never had, and never have, guests. One day, a man by the name of Lambodar (Rawal) comes to their home, claiming to be a distant uncle. They welcome him, and soon they realise that it was a big mistake to do so. He possesses many habits that irritate them, and does all sort of things (and even gets Puneet fired from work!), but as he is elderly, Munmun and Puneet feel bad to just chuck him out of the house. How they manage, and how, towards the end, the “trouble” in the form of Lambodar turns into a blessing is what the film is about.

Ajay Devgn as Puneet

The first thing I liked about the film: the theme – just a simple story that probably takes place in everybody’s house. All of us have guests now and then, but in my view, other than the fact that they usually bring something to give you (biscuits or chocolates maybe!) they tend to cause more trouble than pleasure. Likewise, Lambodar appears a huge burden to this family. He wakes them up very early with his obstreperous gargling noise, he invites a bunch of friends over and asks Munmun to cook for all of them... but surprisingly, he also has some very good habits. He gives Munmun money just for making delicious food (even blessing her by saying that no one who comes to their home will ever go away with an empty stomach), and he also creates joy in the neighbourhood by singing in the temple regularly.

Konkona Sen Sharma as Munmun

The story is quite hilarious and importantly, it also manages to deliver a message to the viewers towards the end. While you cannot stop laughing in the scene where Lambodar goes to the movie set, you also feel sad when he apologises to Puneet after that, for getting him fired. Most of the humour comes from the way the family tries to send away Lambodar out of the house, but in a seemingly “polite” manner! But towards the end the message the film provides is Athithi Devo Bhava, a popular saying meaning “guests are God”. Any so-called “trouble” of a guest can also turn out to be a blessing.

Paresh Rawal as Lambodar

Paresh Rawal is the star in acting. He almost single-handedly manages to make a super entertainer from such a simple storyline with his acting. Ajay Devgn and Konkona Sen Sharma have also contributed by giving some good performances.

It may not have big stars or expensive set design, but with a simple but effective story, Athithi Tum Kab Jaoge? is quite good for a family entertainer. I like the selection of the theme (and it should have taken a lot of persuasion to choose, I think, for these type of films usually don’t run in the theatres), and the message it delivers. Watch for Paresh Rawal’s classy acting as well!

My Rating: 4/5

GoodFellas (1990)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Screenplay: Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi (based on the book Wiseguy by Pileggi)
Cast: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Time: 140 minutes
Bottom-line: Violent, stylish and superbly act and shot, GoodFellas is a first-rate gangster drama

For my 150th review, I choose the film, GoodFellas, often considered by many as one of the greatest films ever made, by the director, and in general. Veteran director Martin Scorsese takes his viewers through three decades of mafia life in this 140 minute film, and by the end of it I felt that this is as good a gangster film you will ever come across. GoodFellas stars Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci in the lead roles, with Paul Sorvino and Lorraine Bracco in the supporting roles.

Ray Liotta as Henry Hill

1955, Brooklyn – “As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster. To me, being a gangster was better than being President of the United States”, says Henry Hill (Liotta). You have probably read this line in every review of this film written so far, and the reason is, I think, is because that’s exactly what the film is about – is being in the mafia really that great? Through Henry’s eyes, we get to experience the mafia life for nearly three decades, from 1955 to 1981. At a young age, he starts working for the local mob capo, Paulie (Sorvino). His mentor is James “Jimmy” Conway (De Niro), whose associate is Tommy DeVito (Pesci), a man with a temper that can make him go mad. The story explores their initial successes, their ups and downs, and decay.

GoodFellas, I felt, is more of a case study about the mafia. The reason it is accurate is probably because it is based on the true story of Henry Hill, who narrated his story to Pileggi, who eventually wrote the book that formed the basis for the film. The reason the film seems authentic in terms of characters, dialogues and screenplay is because Scorsese gave the actors freedom to improvise. In fact, Joe Pesci even directed one sequence from the film, where he scares Henry with his famous line, “I mean funny like I'm a clown? I amuse you?”

Robert De Niro as Jimmy Conway

Ray Liotta has given a magnificent performance, and he seems best suited for the role. I liked his acting especially towards the end, where his world comes crashing down and he is finally arrested by the cops. This is the first time I am watching De Niro in a Scorsese film, and I admit I loved his acting too. He is a mentor for Hill, a gangster, a hijacker and (as we see later) a ruthless murderer, and the way De Niro changes his method of acting to bring authenticity into all the different types of characters is amazing. But the most memorable (I wouldn’t say “best”) character is Tommy DeVito, played by Pesci. His performance as the humorous, aggressive and unimaginable crazy DeVito is a class apart – and the Oscar was rightly given to him as well. The same guy who made you laugh in the Home Alone series by making a fool of himself now shocks you with his aggression and violent attitude. Lorraine Bracco’s acting was impressive as well, and she deserved an Oscar nomination.

Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito

Though there is no real story as such, the film basically tells how the mafia life actually is. Initially we see their power, indicated by this line said by Hill: “If we wanted something, we just took it. If anyone complained twice they got hit so bad, believe me, they never complained again.” And of course, there’s the other side of the coin: “For most of the guys, killing's got to be accepted. Murder was the only way that everybody stayed in line. Shooting people was a normal thing. It was no big deal.” We see how Hill, Conway and Tommy make money by performing heists, how they murder a “made man” and put themselves in danger, how they manage to stay afloat, and finally, what they do when they reach a stage where only betrayal and murder prevail. It is ironic how Conway’s first advice to Hill is, “Never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut,” and in the end Hill is the one who gives the others away.

Lorraine Bracco as Karen Hill

I may have given written about many parts of the story that occur in the second half and towards the end, but to me, there are no major twists in the film, like maybe Shutter Island or The Departed. GoodFellas should be viewed for its sharp, stylish and realistic portrayal of the rise and fall of three gangsters in a span of three decades. Filled with outstanding performances by all the leads, Joe Pesci in particular, some memorable dialogues (and of course, the swear words!), superb camera work (including many long shots, quick cuts and freeze frames), GoodFellas is one of the best films by Martin Scorsese, and is a classic in the gangster genre.

My Rating: 4.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 96%