As the title suggests, i wish all my readers a very happy and prosperous 2010. May this year fulfill all your wishes and take you forward in life. May 2010 be a lot better than what 2009 ever was.
I wish you all the best, and most importantly, i encourage you to continue reading this blog...
cheers,
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Annual Round Up-2009
Its been quite a year. A year of war (the sri lankan war), promise for peace (Obama), the Nobel gaffe, a breakdown of the Nuke deal, the great Indian elections, Slumdog winning endless awards, a revolt filled west China, a tennis legend coming back to where he belonged, a cricketing genius entering his third decade of active play(also getting the most test runs), a colossal failure of rich nations-content with rescuing banks-to spend on climate change, swine flu doing the rounds, the fall of the pop king, the golf emperor scathed by all corners, a f1 legend announcing his return to the track, a mom winning the US open, Tarentino making a great comeback, Bhagat taking a dig at the whole of south India, Getting an Indian state with CM post just by fasting, India becoming the No 1 test nation in 77 years of cricket, Vijay's flop shows again, Kamal's golden year, the first ever strike by IITs, me beginning to blog, etc...etc...etc...(hopefully i have not missed something really huge).
Its been a big year for me as well. 2008 was a rather tumultuous year for me what with me getting an unlikely seat at IIT-M, those nervous months during summer, the first end sems and so on. At this backdrop 2009 has been a more of a stable year on the academic front, with steady inputs from different corners and a marginal increase in self belief. But on a personal front, it has been a year of loss. But, anyday, 2009 has been a good year overall.
Some of my firsts in 2009:
*Beginning to blog
*Witnessing Saarang-golden edition
*Travelled to colleges as a publicity coordinator
*A coordinator in Shaastra and Saarang
*A core member in Amalgam
*The utmost measures taken to correct the one big mistake of my life
*Breaking of important friendships
*Doing web operations
*Discussions on God
*A deeper delving in Metallurgy
*Reviewing movies
*Watching an A list of movies
*Setting foot on a land outside India
*Being busy
*Becoming a nine pointer
*Managing weeks without a cell phone
*Enjoying thorough solitude
*Being unusually depressed
*Long hours on telephone
*Driving a car
*Greatest insult in my life
*Watching a Vijay movie first day
*And finally, being the numero uno after 6 long years
I hope i didnt miss anything in the above list.
2009, despite its share of upsets has cheered me on to look further.These losses will teach me time and again that i need to improve further, that i need to motivate myself, that i need to hope more. And like most of you, i am waving a happy good bye to 2009 for all the good memories it has given me. They will egg me on forever in life.
Looking forward, i do see tougher times ahead with more responsibilities being forced on my tender shoulders, with a dark force looming large. I hope 2010 ends up being atleast as good as 2009 and hopefully a better year for you-my readers.
A very good bye, 2009.
cheers,
Its been a big year for me as well. 2008 was a rather tumultuous year for me what with me getting an unlikely seat at IIT-M, those nervous months during summer, the first end sems and so on. At this backdrop 2009 has been a more of a stable year on the academic front, with steady inputs from different corners and a marginal increase in self belief. But on a personal front, it has been a year of loss. But, anyday, 2009 has been a good year overall.
Some of my firsts in 2009:
*Beginning to blog
*Witnessing Saarang-golden edition
*Travelled to colleges as a publicity coordinator
*A coordinator in Shaastra and Saarang
*A core member in Amalgam
*The utmost measures taken to correct the one big mistake of my life
*Breaking of important friendships
*Doing web operations
*Discussions on God
*A deeper delving in Metallurgy
*Reviewing movies
*Watching an A list of movies
*Setting foot on a land outside India
*Being busy
*Becoming a nine pointer
*Managing weeks without a cell phone
*Enjoying thorough solitude
*Being unusually depressed
*Long hours on telephone
*Driving a car
*Greatest insult in my life
*Watching a Vijay movie first day
*And finally, being the numero uno after 6 long years
I hope i didnt miss anything in the above list.
2009, despite its share of upsets has cheered me on to look further.These losses will teach me time and again that i need to improve further, that i need to motivate myself, that i need to hope more. And like most of you, i am waving a happy good bye to 2009 for all the good memories it has given me. They will egg me on forever in life.
Looking forward, i do see tougher times ahead with more responsibilities being forced on my tender shoulders, with a dark force looming large. I hope 2010 ends up being atleast as good as 2009 and hopefully a better year for you-my readers.
A very good bye, 2009.
cheers,
Thursday, December 24, 2009
A legend on his own terms
There are actors.
There are performers.
There are legends.
And then there is Kamal.
From the days of being a six year old in "Kalathur Kannamma" to being the aam aadhmi in "Unnai pol oruvan" its been a journey extraordinaire. Kamal has travelled a full circle "thrice" i guess.
50 years is pretty much a long time in any field, let alone the movie industry. To survive for that long a period of time and to evolve continuously over the period of time, requires a genius of some measure.
For a guy who dropped out of school to learn Bharatanatyam, to have a knowledge of great depth in the latest technologies used in film industry takes some measure. To have the same depth of knowledge ranging from poetry to philosophy to screen-writing requires a special person.
Tamizh cinema is gifted to have an "all-rounder" like him. He has done everything from being an actor, to a director, to a screen-writer, a producer and a dialogue-writer. Even singing has not been left out. He is not a loner in cinema to do this multi-tasking though. People of false demeanour like T.Rajendar have done that too. But T.R is like "Coovum" when compared to the Ganges called Kamal.
In this special year, i would like to look back and recollect a few of my favorite movies that had him in its mix. A top 5 listing to be short.
5.Punnagai Mannan(1984)
With his mentor KB at the helm of affairs, Kamal delivered solid performances ranging from a depressed lover to a comedian. His dance was used well in this movie. I particularly like this movie for the way it dealt with subtle things, such as an estranged romance and a new found love (true KB style). A great tragedy told in the most comic way possible.
4.Kurudhi punal(1995)
Kamal was portrayed as a street smart cop for the first time, a far cry from the all-bash-no-brainer cop versions portrayed by Vijaykant of yore. With fantastic punch lines about fear and bravery, a dangerous villain in the name of Nasser and strong undercurrents of emotions running through, this film was one thrill ride. A milestone undoubted in the great man's career.
3.Virumaandi(2004)
This film was all Kamal from the start to the finish. Starting from the gory looking scenes of a jail to the neck biting kamal in the climax, this movie redefined the way screen writing was done in tamizh cinema. A two-tier screenplay was a successful experiment, i would say, as the film maintained heavy duty momentum till the end. A class act in tamizh cinema screen writing.
2.Nayagan(1987)
Its the only tamizh film in Time magazine's list of "ALL TIME 100 BEST MOVIES". Its also the only "remake" to feature in the list along with its original-The Godfather I and II. Needless to say about the film's magnitude and reach and appreciation world over. Though Kamal borrowed some acting methodologies from Marlon Brando (scratching the head) and Al pacino (dialogue delivery and hugging manners etc), he pumped in a lot of his own skills, as such, to win a National Award for acting. A masterclass, anyday.
1.Anbe Sivam(2003)
Its the only film I have seen till now that defines God to perfection. The most perfect movie ever made by Kamal. Despite its bombing at the box office, the screenplay, some of the conversations, the communist sub-text and the art work that went into creating the accident scenes left a huge mark amidst people. Once again, Kamal's greatest work till date.
Comedy: I would give a seperate nominee here because Kamal has done so many comedies as such (ranging from Micheal Madana Kama Rajan to Vasool Raja MBBS). Each comedy usurping the other in terms of dialogue delivery, the timing and the hilarious situations the protagonist had to handle. But if i should nominate one movie, it would go to Pancha Tantram for the remarkably hilarious dialogues, and racy screenplay (mind you, this over takes Avvai Shanmugi).
The above list has overridden many of Kamal's remarkable performances such as Moondram Pirai, Ninaithale Inikkum, Manamadha Leelai, Sigappu Rojakkal, 16 vayadhinile, Salangai Oli, Moondru Mudichu and so on... But this list is just my most favorite, the most i have enjoyed as a fan, the most complete of 'em all.
I fervently wish that Kamal lives on and on and on and gives legendary stuff from time and again.
A salute to the ever-6 year old-genius. May you live on!!!!
cheers,
There are performers.
There are legends.
And then there is Kamal.
From the days of being a six year old in "Kalathur Kannamma" to being the aam aadhmi in "Unnai pol oruvan" its been a journey extraordinaire. Kamal has travelled a full circle "thrice" i guess.
50 years is pretty much a long time in any field, let alone the movie industry. To survive for that long a period of time and to evolve continuously over the period of time, requires a genius of some measure.
For a guy who dropped out of school to learn Bharatanatyam, to have a knowledge of great depth in the latest technologies used in film industry takes some measure. To have the same depth of knowledge ranging from poetry to philosophy to screen-writing requires a special person.
Tamizh cinema is gifted to have an "all-rounder" like him. He has done everything from being an actor, to a director, to a screen-writer, a producer and a dialogue-writer. Even singing has not been left out. He is not a loner in cinema to do this multi-tasking though. People of false demeanour like T.Rajendar have done that too. But T.R is like "Coovum" when compared to the Ganges called Kamal.
In this special year, i would like to look back and recollect a few of my favorite movies that had him in its mix. A top 5 listing to be short.
5.Punnagai Mannan(1984)
With his mentor KB at the helm of affairs, Kamal delivered solid performances ranging from a depressed lover to a comedian. His dance was used well in this movie. I particularly like this movie for the way it dealt with subtle things, such as an estranged romance and a new found love (true KB style). A great tragedy told in the most comic way possible.
4.Kurudhi punal(1995)
Kamal was portrayed as a street smart cop for the first time, a far cry from the all-bash-no-brainer cop versions portrayed by Vijaykant of yore. With fantastic punch lines about fear and bravery, a dangerous villain in the name of Nasser and strong undercurrents of emotions running through, this film was one thrill ride. A milestone undoubted in the great man's career.
3.Virumaandi(2004)
This film was all Kamal from the start to the finish. Starting from the gory looking scenes of a jail to the neck biting kamal in the climax, this movie redefined the way screen writing was done in tamizh cinema. A two-tier screenplay was a successful experiment, i would say, as the film maintained heavy duty momentum till the end. A class act in tamizh cinema screen writing.
2.Nayagan(1987)
Its the only tamizh film in Time magazine's list of "ALL TIME 100 BEST MOVIES". Its also the only "remake" to feature in the list along with its original-The Godfather I and II. Needless to say about the film's magnitude and reach and appreciation world over. Though Kamal borrowed some acting methodologies from Marlon Brando (scratching the head) and Al pacino (dialogue delivery and hugging manners etc), he pumped in a lot of his own skills, as such, to win a National Award for acting. A masterclass, anyday.
1.Anbe Sivam(2003)
Its the only film I have seen till now that defines God to perfection. The most perfect movie ever made by Kamal. Despite its bombing at the box office, the screenplay, some of the conversations, the communist sub-text and the art work that went into creating the accident scenes left a huge mark amidst people. Once again, Kamal's greatest work till date.
Comedy: I would give a seperate nominee here because Kamal has done so many comedies as such (ranging from Micheal Madana Kama Rajan to Vasool Raja MBBS). Each comedy usurping the other in terms of dialogue delivery, the timing and the hilarious situations the protagonist had to handle. But if i should nominate one movie, it would go to Pancha Tantram for the remarkably hilarious dialogues, and racy screenplay (mind you, this over takes Avvai Shanmugi).
The above list has overridden many of Kamal's remarkable performances such as Moondram Pirai, Ninaithale Inikkum, Manamadha Leelai, Sigappu Rojakkal, 16 vayadhinile, Salangai Oli, Moondru Mudichu and so on... But this list is just my most favorite, the most i have enjoyed as a fan, the most complete of 'em all.
I fervently wish that Kamal lives on and on and on and gives legendary stuff from time and again.
A salute to the ever-6 year old-genius. May you live on!!!!
cheers,
A little master
It was a day in the November of 1989, Karachi when two young and talented players made cricketing debuts for their respective nations. One went on to be part of the famous pace attack that his national cricket team possessed and also captained his side later.
The other became a legend.
At 16, every cricketer who ever got to see him before had already noticed the genius within the kid. Yet it took time to blossom. And so it did in the many years to come, to be hailed the "greatest batsman" to have ever played the game. Even the Don, had that he saw what he was once, within this legend.
The kid was also known for his bravery in his very first international test series. He batted with a bleeding nose to help Navjot Sidhu and India draw the last test of the four test series in 1989, just enabling India a great achievement of not losing a test series in the neighbour's soil.
Yup, no price for guessing. Its Sachin Tendulkar that I am talking about. He has an experience in International cricket, which is older than my age. He began playing cricket at an age when i didnt know of a thing called a bat. Yet he has influenced so many generation of cricket viewers and players worldwide. His achievements can never be put to a scale. His talent unquestionable, and his charm-unmatchable.
So, I, as a simple fan of his, have attempted to list down my most favorite knocks of the legend in tests and ODIs respectively.
ODIs:
5.186* vs NZ, Hyderabad, 1999
His highest score in a ODI. Slayed the new zealand attack on a belter.
4.98 vs Pakistan, Centurion, 2003
High voltage tension. Shoaib Akhtar's bouncer in excess of 150kmph. Sachin's wrists rotate so that the bat is above his shoulder. The ball makes contact. Upper cut. The ball goes to the third man fence for a six. This small hit summed up his stunning world cup efforts.
3.175 vs Australia, Hyderabad, 2009
Too long, yet too short. Tendulkar made chasing 351 on a belter against a less potent australian attack too simple until he fell 17 runs short allowing India to choke(again).
2.117* vs Australia, Sydney, 2008
Couldnt have timed his first ODI century in Australia better. Led from the front to guide India to its first final victory against Australia in Australia. A stunning knock, to which he followed up with a 91 to lead India to its first ODI series triumph against the Aussies Down under.
1.143 vs Australia, Sharjah, 1998
Part one of the desert storm knocks. India, hit by a sand storm while chasing down 284, was given a reduced target of 276 runs(with 237 reqd to qualify for the final)in 46 overs. Then came Sachin, as he dismantled the Aussie bowling attack to all parts of the ground. Yet he couldnt win the match for India. But he compensated for that by hitting an unbeaten 134 in the final 2 days later to give India a famous win at Sharjah. This knock of 143 however, tilted the debate of the greatest batsman ever, in his favor. It still remains the best one day knock I have seen of this great man.
Tests:
5.241* vs Australia, Sydney,2004
Scored a mammoth double century at his favorite Australian ground as India piled on a massive 705. Yet, the aussies hung on for a draw to deny India's first series victory down under.
4.119* vs England, Old trafford, 1990
His first test century ever. One among his only three fourth innings test centuries. Needing to bat out a day for a draw, he played an attacking innings bringing India, sniffing distance to the actual target. India, though had to settle for a draw, had threatened England.
3.114 vs Australia, Perth, 1994
With all the other Indian batsman crumbling to the sheer bounce at the Perth wicket, Sachin stood up tall, put up a marathon ninth wicket, and attacked the bowlers from the backfoot. Some of the pulls and cuts were sheer genius. The way he attacked the bowlers is something that is admired even today. Yet, one man cant give a team a victory.
2.136 vs Pakistan, Chennai, 1999
So close, yet so far. Sachin made an almost match-winning knock of 136 against arch-rivals Pakistan braving back pain. He fell 17 short of victory. But the Indian tail collapsed leaving India a gasping 12 runs short of victory. This is probably his almost-greatest knock ever.
1.103* vs England, Chennai, 2008
On a crumbling wicket, with a belligerent start given by Sehwag, Sachin made chasing down 387 look easy. It was the highest target ever chased in the sub continent. And this is knock is till date, his only fourth innings century which won the match for India. And, personally, i have placed this knock at the top, comparing the 136(mentioned above) only because India won this match at the end.
Despite all the glories, Sachin still has many regrets. He has often not been able to win a match despite all his efforts. He hasnt won the world cup for India yet. And the regret list goes on. Yet he is a legend, the greatest batsman ever, and a God to cricket maniacs.
Salute to the legend.May be play on and on and on....
cheers,
The other became a legend.
At 16, every cricketer who ever got to see him before had already noticed the genius within the kid. Yet it took time to blossom. And so it did in the many years to come, to be hailed the "greatest batsman" to have ever played the game. Even the Don, had that he saw what he was once, within this legend.
The kid was also known for his bravery in his very first international test series. He batted with a bleeding nose to help Navjot Sidhu and India draw the last test of the four test series in 1989, just enabling India a great achievement of not losing a test series in the neighbour's soil.
Yup, no price for guessing. Its Sachin Tendulkar that I am talking about. He has an experience in International cricket, which is older than my age. He began playing cricket at an age when i didnt know of a thing called a bat. Yet he has influenced so many generation of cricket viewers and players worldwide. His achievements can never be put to a scale. His talent unquestionable, and his charm-unmatchable.
So, I, as a simple fan of his, have attempted to list down my most favorite knocks of the legend in tests and ODIs respectively.
ODIs:
5.186* vs NZ, Hyderabad, 1999
His highest score in a ODI. Slayed the new zealand attack on a belter.
4.98 vs Pakistan, Centurion, 2003
High voltage tension. Shoaib Akhtar's bouncer in excess of 150kmph. Sachin's wrists rotate so that the bat is above his shoulder. The ball makes contact. Upper cut. The ball goes to the third man fence for a six. This small hit summed up his stunning world cup efforts.
3.175 vs Australia, Hyderabad, 2009
Too long, yet too short. Tendulkar made chasing 351 on a belter against a less potent australian attack too simple until he fell 17 runs short allowing India to choke(again).
2.117* vs Australia, Sydney, 2008
Couldnt have timed his first ODI century in Australia better. Led from the front to guide India to its first final victory against Australia in Australia. A stunning knock, to which he followed up with a 91 to lead India to its first ODI series triumph against the Aussies Down under.
1.143 vs Australia, Sharjah, 1998
Part one of the desert storm knocks. India, hit by a sand storm while chasing down 284, was given a reduced target of 276 runs(with 237 reqd to qualify for the final)in 46 overs. Then came Sachin, as he dismantled the Aussie bowling attack to all parts of the ground. Yet he couldnt win the match for India. But he compensated for that by hitting an unbeaten 134 in the final 2 days later to give India a famous win at Sharjah. This knock of 143 however, tilted the debate of the greatest batsman ever, in his favor. It still remains the best one day knock I have seen of this great man.
Tests:
5.241* vs Australia, Sydney,2004
Scored a mammoth double century at his favorite Australian ground as India piled on a massive 705. Yet, the aussies hung on for a draw to deny India's first series victory down under.
4.119* vs England, Old trafford, 1990
His first test century ever. One among his only three fourth innings test centuries. Needing to bat out a day for a draw, he played an attacking innings bringing India, sniffing distance to the actual target. India, though had to settle for a draw, had threatened England.
3.114 vs Australia, Perth, 1994
With all the other Indian batsman crumbling to the sheer bounce at the Perth wicket, Sachin stood up tall, put up a marathon ninth wicket, and attacked the bowlers from the backfoot. Some of the pulls and cuts were sheer genius. The way he attacked the bowlers is something that is admired even today. Yet, one man cant give a team a victory.
2.136 vs Pakistan, Chennai, 1999
So close, yet so far. Sachin made an almost match-winning knock of 136 against arch-rivals Pakistan braving back pain. He fell 17 short of victory. But the Indian tail collapsed leaving India a gasping 12 runs short of victory. This is probably his almost-greatest knock ever.
1.103* vs England, Chennai, 2008
On a crumbling wicket, with a belligerent start given by Sehwag, Sachin made chasing down 387 look easy. It was the highest target ever chased in the sub continent. And this is knock is till date, his only fourth innings century which won the match for India. And, personally, i have placed this knock at the top, comparing the 136(mentioned above) only because India won this match at the end.
Despite all the glories, Sachin still has many regrets. He has often not been able to win a match despite all his efforts. He hasnt won the world cup for India yet. And the regret list goes on. Yet he is a legend, the greatest batsman ever, and a God to cricket maniacs.
Salute to the legend.May be play on and on and on....
cheers,
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Prestige-Special Review
Notes:
A friend of mine had requested that i review this movie. It seems he had liked the movie pretty much and also liked my way of reviewing(he he he). So here goes my review. Its been about two years since I last saw this movie. So, if there are inaccuracies in the detailing mentioned, sorry about those-human memory does hurt a lot.
The Review:
It was once upon a time in 2007 that i cashed in upon a DVD titled Prestige in my uncle's house. It was a sleepy afternoon which was drenched on the outside and i was pretty sleepy. The tagline said, "Are you watching closely?". I saw the director's name, it said "Christopher Nolan". I had heard of Nolan's name for the first time then. So i thought, if it was a boring tale it would aid me in sleeping(the thing is i was really tired, but i couldnt sleep. I needed a "driving force" for that :D). And hence i switched on the DVD.
The first five minutes were pretty confusing with multiple images showing entirely different setups, and the background sound explaining about the various stages in a magic trick-the pride, the act and the prestige respectively. And then Bale asked, "Are you watching closely?". I didnt.
I ended up staying awake at the edge of the sofa all afternoon. I just couldnt sleep. The tale was so absorbing that it woke me up from sleep(near sleep that is) and forced me to concentrate the entire sleepy afternoon.
So what made the drastic change??
read more
cheers,
A friend of mine had requested that i review this movie. It seems he had liked the movie pretty much and also liked my way of reviewing(he he he). So here goes my review. Its been about two years since I last saw this movie. So, if there are inaccuracies in the detailing mentioned, sorry about those-human memory does hurt a lot.
The Review:
It was once upon a time in 2007 that i cashed in upon a DVD titled Prestige in my uncle's house. It was a sleepy afternoon which was drenched on the outside and i was pretty sleepy. The tagline said, "Are you watching closely?". I saw the director's name, it said "Christopher Nolan". I had heard of Nolan's name for the first time then. So i thought, if it was a boring tale it would aid me in sleeping(the thing is i was really tired, but i couldnt sleep. I needed a "driving force" for that :D). And hence i switched on the DVD.
The first five minutes were pretty confusing with multiple images showing entirely different setups, and the background sound explaining about the various stages in a magic trick-the pride, the act and the prestige respectively. And then Bale asked, "Are you watching closely?". I didnt.
I ended up staying awake at the edge of the sofa all afternoon. I just couldnt sleep. The tale was so absorbing that it woke me up from sleep(near sleep that is) and forced me to concentrate the entire sleepy afternoon.
So what made the drastic change??
read more
Verdict 2009- Vol 3
This post will primarily deal with sports.
Cricket:
Test team of the year: India
-Undefeated this year. Year end numero uno
ODI team of the year:Australia
-Champions Trophy, Series win in England. Australia-B side winning India 4-2
T20 team of the year(International): Pakistan
-Champions in World T20
Test cricketer of the year:Gautam Gambhir
-Remarkable consistency this year
ODI cricketer of the year:Shane Watson
-Match winning knocks in the Champions Trophy
T20 cricketer of the year:Shahid Afridi
-Almost single handedly winning the T20 championship
F-1:
Driver: Sebastian Vettel (this guy drove better than the winner Jenson Button)
Team: Brawn(of course, they won close to 6 races in a row initially)
Tennis:
Player of the year(male): Roger Federer(obviously) :D
Player of the year(female): Serena Williams
Comeback of the year: Kim Clijsters
Players to watch out far: Juan Martin Del Potro, Caroline Wozniacki
Farewell: Marat Safin
If the above post looked more like an "award-listing", i guess i couldnt present it properly...suggestions??
It finally ends here :D
cheers,
Cricket:
Test team of the year: India
-Undefeated this year. Year end numero uno
ODI team of the year:Australia
-Champions Trophy, Series win in England. Australia-B side winning India 4-2
T20 team of the year(International): Pakistan
-Champions in World T20
Test cricketer of the year:Gautam Gambhir
-Remarkable consistency this year
ODI cricketer of the year:Shane Watson
-Match winning knocks in the Champions Trophy
T20 cricketer of the year:Shahid Afridi
-Almost single handedly winning the T20 championship
F-1:
Driver: Sebastian Vettel (this guy drove better than the winner Jenson Button)
Team: Brawn(of course, they won close to 6 races in a row initially)
Tennis:
Player of the year(male): Roger Federer(obviously) :D
Player of the year(female): Serena Williams
Comeback of the year: Kim Clijsters
Players to watch out far: Juan Martin Del Potro, Caroline Wozniacki
Farewell: Marat Safin
If the above post looked more like an "award-listing", i guess i couldnt present it properly...suggestions??
It finally ends here :D
cheers,
Verdict 2009- Vol 2
Funda:
Read the first volume of this series.
Movies:
Tamizh:
Top 5:
1.Nadodigal:
A revelation really. Fantastic tale of post love-joining friendship. Cheesy lines and good performances. Movie of the year.
2.Eeram:
I was personally pretty impressed with the screenplay and the characterisation of the lead characters. The supernatural element was dealt with beautifully(of course the climax didnt require that much of dramatisation, but thats usual in tam cinema)
3.Vennilla kabadi Kuzhu:
A nice theme on a nice game. The main strong point of this movie was the liveliness and the amount of comedy introduced in a serious tale. The climax, i thought, came out of an afterthought to the director. Anyways, this was a different movie and had a different ending.
4.Unnai pol oruvan:
Kamal+Mohan Lal+Fantastic dialogues=Wholesome entertainment. Needless to say, one of the better and crisper movies this year.
5.Yaavarum Nalam:
Supernatural thriller again. Though the screenplay speed was a tad low, i liked the fact that everything revolved around a serial (I hope atleast some people have stopped watching serials after seeing this movie).
Disasters:
Tam movies are known for disasters. I am gonna restrict myself to the biggest.
1.Villu:
Vijay-that one word says it all.
2.Sarvam:
An impressive original turned totally morbid with Trisha looking like a grandmom of Arya.
3.Kandhaswamy:
Read my post on it. I guess you kinda understand (if you had seen the movie that is).
4.Vettaikkaran:
Its not released yet. But i can tell its surely gonna be a new year disaster signaling the end of the world. There is vijay, horrible punch dialogues, shit songs and there is this waterfall jump. What more do you want for a disaster??
5.Aadhavan:
The fact that Surya starred in this movie was a big let down by itself. One of the actor's crappiest in his recent history.
A small value addition:
Tamil Cinema Music, Top 5 songs of the year '09, according to me that is
1.Vizhi Moodi-Harris Jeyaraj-Ayan
2.Yogi Yogi thaan-Yuvan Shankar Raja-Yogi
3.Yeno Yeno panithuli-Harris Jeyaraj-Aadhavan
4.Yeppadiyo maatikitten-Yuvan Shankar Raja-SMS
5.Aathichoodi-Vijay Antony-TN(blah blah)
To be continued,
cheers,
Read the first volume of this series.
Movies:
Tamizh:
Top 5:
1.Nadodigal:
A revelation really. Fantastic tale of post love-joining friendship. Cheesy lines and good performances. Movie of the year.
2.Eeram:
I was personally pretty impressed with the screenplay and the characterisation of the lead characters. The supernatural element was dealt with beautifully(of course the climax didnt require that much of dramatisation, but thats usual in tam cinema)
3.Vennilla kabadi Kuzhu:
A nice theme on a nice game. The main strong point of this movie was the liveliness and the amount of comedy introduced in a serious tale. The climax, i thought, came out of an afterthought to the director. Anyways, this was a different movie and had a different ending.
4.Unnai pol oruvan:
Kamal+Mohan Lal+Fantastic dialogues=Wholesome entertainment. Needless to say, one of the better and crisper movies this year.
5.Yaavarum Nalam:
Supernatural thriller again. Though the screenplay speed was a tad low, i liked the fact that everything revolved around a serial (I hope atleast some people have stopped watching serials after seeing this movie).
Disasters:
Tam movies are known for disasters. I am gonna restrict myself to the biggest.
1.Villu:
Vijay-that one word says it all.
2.Sarvam:
An impressive original turned totally morbid with Trisha looking like a grandmom of Arya.
3.Kandhaswamy:
Read my post on it. I guess you kinda understand (if you had seen the movie that is).
4.Vettaikkaran:
Its not released yet. But i can tell its surely gonna be a new year disaster signaling the end of the world. There is vijay, horrible punch dialogues, shit songs and there is this waterfall jump. What more do you want for a disaster??
5.Aadhavan:
The fact that Surya starred in this movie was a big let down by itself. One of the actor's crappiest in his recent history.
A small value addition:
Tamil Cinema Music, Top 5 songs of the year '09, according to me that is
1.Vizhi Moodi-Harris Jeyaraj-Ayan
2.Yogi Yogi thaan-Yuvan Shankar Raja-Yogi
3.Yeno Yeno panithuli-Harris Jeyaraj-Aadhavan
4.Yeppadiyo maatikitten-Yuvan Shankar Raja-SMS
5.Aathichoodi-Vijay Antony-TN(blah blah)
To be continued,
cheers,
Verdict 2009
This post is meant to list out "my" favorite incidents in sport and "my" favorite movies of the year. So, lets get started
Movies:
English:
1. Inglourious basterds:
Easily the best Tarentino movie i have seen after "reservoir dogs" (yup, it bet "pulp fiction" at the post). Excellent screenplay, superb sub-plots, cheesy lines (Pitt gets most of it--again) and excellent performances (from Pitt and Waltz and all the others), and you cant expect more for a good movie. Not to mention the excellent cinematography and the great start to the movie in the first ten minutes. "Monsieur La Pedite, this is your home. Make yourself comfortable"
2.Gran Torino(Indian Release-2009)
Vintage Eastwood. Good tale about life and death, and bonding between "americans" and "asians". The climax was a stunner.
3.Public Enemies:
Johney Depp lives the character of John Dillinger. Bale provides a powerful cameo, but is completely overshadowed by Depp (just like Heath Ledger in Dark Knight). But somehow, the movie lacks the punch to be called a "great" movie. "Bye bye, black bird"
4.Hangover:
One of the best comedies to come out off late. Rib tickling dialogues, and amazing re-mixes as background scores.
5.Watchmen:
I guess the director has a lot of hangover on "Fight club" and many tarentino movies. Some of the scenes and angles were pretty much reminiscent of the former and the sub plots reminded me a lot of Tarentino. But the film had a really absurd climax, and the character of Dr.Manhattan was not conceived properly. The length was another deterrent. I have not seen "milk" yet. May be it will beat this movie to this spot.
Animation:
Bolt:
Amazing animation, screenplay and a very good plot. The "acting" was pretty good. And miley cyrus rocked...:P
Disasters:
1.Twilight:
Yuck
2.Termination Salvation:
Please stop the terminator series
3.HP 6:
I never thought there could be a rom-com made out of the HP series...but they did exactly that in this movie. Yuck maxxxx...
Movies:
English:
1. Inglourious basterds:
Easily the best Tarentino movie i have seen after "reservoir dogs" (yup, it bet "pulp fiction" at the post). Excellent screenplay, superb sub-plots, cheesy lines (Pitt gets most of it--again) and excellent performances (from Pitt and Waltz and all the others), and you cant expect more for a good movie. Not to mention the excellent cinematography and the great start to the movie in the first ten minutes. "Monsieur La Pedite, this is your home. Make yourself comfortable"
2.Gran Torino(Indian Release-2009)
Vintage Eastwood. Good tale about life and death, and bonding between "americans" and "asians". The climax was a stunner.
3.Public Enemies:
Johney Depp lives the character of John Dillinger. Bale provides a powerful cameo, but is completely overshadowed by Depp (just like Heath Ledger in Dark Knight). But somehow, the movie lacks the punch to be called a "great" movie. "Bye bye, black bird"
4.Hangover:
One of the best comedies to come out off late. Rib tickling dialogues, and amazing re-mixes as background scores.
5.Watchmen:
I guess the director has a lot of hangover on "Fight club" and many tarentino movies. Some of the scenes and angles were pretty much reminiscent of the former and the sub plots reminded me a lot of Tarentino. But the film had a really absurd climax, and the character of Dr.Manhattan was not conceived properly. The length was another deterrent. I have not seen "milk" yet. May be it will beat this movie to this spot.
Animation:
Bolt:
Amazing animation, screenplay and a very good plot. The "acting" was pretty good. And miley cyrus rocked...:P
Disasters:
1.Twilight:
Yuck
2.Termination Salvation:
Please stop the terminator series
3.HP 6:
I never thought there could be a rom-com made out of the HP series...but they did exactly that in this movie. Yuck maxxxx...
To be continued,
cheers,
21 grams-An editing masterpiece
I was filled with apprehensions when i began watching this movie. I had already watched the tamizh version of it-"sarvam" and the tam version was real bad. The screenplay was sagging and the chemistry of the lead actors and the impact was just not there.
But seriously, what made the big difference between the english and the tam versions was the superb editing and the screenplay in the former. The screenplay moves backward and forward(of course one direction at a time :D) much like Nolan-ish movies. And essentially what makes this happen is the editing...
Right from the initial introduction of the characters to the narration of their "parellel stories" together, the screenplay was real razy. The best part was even the dialogues had a sense of continuity.
Sample this: Somewhere in the middle of the movie(its been a while since i saw the movie...so i dont know exactly the moment it happens), there is a talk about drinks and glasses, and cut, you see a tray of drinks aligned for a party that night. This party takes place in a different character's story and its in the past. Thats good editing for you.
Same follows in the gun shots that happen in a hotel room, and the continuity in dialogue between that scene and the scenes that happen in the past.
The accident, which is pretty much the turning point of the movie, wasnt shown one bit (sounds like "Reservoir dogs" right...ya, the accident scene was pretty much like it...but this movie is no way a match to Tarentino's masterpiece) and this accident was revealed pretty much late into the screenplay. (in the tam version however, for the purpose of dramatization of this accident, the director showed it infinite times during the first half itself, which meant you literally slept through those scenes in the second).
One thing which was pretty much a horn in the rose was the romance part. I mean, the main guy loses love for his wife who dedicated all her energies to him while he was sick, and goes after the wife of the guy who donated him his heart. I mean, come on guys, you need to show some respect to your god-damn wives. This sort of a romantic interlude was totally unwarrented. And the first scene in the movie only reinforced this (both the women sucked anyway).
Despite all the crispness and stuff, the climax, was a bit off a let down except for the cheesy lines and explanations about 21 grams. But who cares, just watch it for its technicalities, the screenplay and the editing.
I didnt lose 21 grams after I saw this movie, but i did after i saw "sarvam" :D
cheers,
But seriously, what made the big difference between the english and the tam versions was the superb editing and the screenplay in the former. The screenplay moves backward and forward(of course one direction at a time :D) much like Nolan-ish movies. And essentially what makes this happen is the editing...
Right from the initial introduction of the characters to the narration of their "parellel stories" together, the screenplay was real razy. The best part was even the dialogues had a sense of continuity.
Sample this: Somewhere in the middle of the movie(its been a while since i saw the movie...so i dont know exactly the moment it happens), there is a talk about drinks and glasses, and cut, you see a tray of drinks aligned for a party that night. This party takes place in a different character's story and its in the past. Thats good editing for you.
Same follows in the gun shots that happen in a hotel room, and the continuity in dialogue between that scene and the scenes that happen in the past.
The accident, which is pretty much the turning point of the movie, wasnt shown one bit (sounds like "Reservoir dogs" right...ya, the accident scene was pretty much like it...but this movie is no way a match to Tarentino's masterpiece) and this accident was revealed pretty much late into the screenplay. (in the tam version however, for the purpose of dramatization of this accident, the director showed it infinite times during the first half itself, which meant you literally slept through those scenes in the second).
One thing which was pretty much a horn in the rose was the romance part. I mean, the main guy loses love for his wife who dedicated all her energies to him while he was sick, and goes after the wife of the guy who donated him his heart. I mean, come on guys, you need to show some respect to your god-damn wives. This sort of a romantic interlude was totally unwarrented. And the first scene in the movie only reinforced this (both the women sucked anyway).
Despite all the crispness and stuff, the climax, was a bit off a let down except for the cheesy lines and explanations about 21 grams. But who cares, just watch it for its technicalities, the screenplay and the editing.
I didnt lose 21 grams after I saw this movie, but i did after i saw "sarvam" :D
cheers,
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Fight club-My review
Tyler Durden, the name still resonates in my ears.
Fight club-what an experience it was..
So what makes fight club tick??
When you have this fantastic plot with schizophrenia linked-joker type chaos creation-and a feminine interest with an amazing cast consisting of edward norton and brad pitt, you can expect a roller coaster of a movie which exactly is fight club
Plot:
Pretty simple. Our protagonist suffers from insomnia. Later suffers from schizophrenia(without his knowledge of course) which cures his insomnia. Later realizes that he actually suffered from schizo...and realises that he is too late...pretty simple right???
The Ups:
Cinematography:
The strength of any good movie. And the frames are amazing. Right from showing the sleepy face of edward norton first up, to the close-up of the "man-boobs" of Bob, to the sensual scenes of pitt and carter and the final apocalypse, an amazing set of frames just adores the movie. Each angle has been chosen with care.
Screenplay:
One of the best i have seen. The way in which the insomnia was dealt with first up and then the schizo under-current and the all revealing climax, there can be no better screenplay for this script. And to put a girl as a pivot for a plot with two mental illnesses is to put the icing on the cake.
Dialogues:
Though a bit Tarentino-ish, the lines were cheesy. Sample, the soap preparation and the film making tutorials. Even the "oath-taking" dialogues were pretty good. And dialogues, being the essential portion of any movie, this surely had things up and right.
Acting/Casting:
I have no rights to comment on this section. Amazing actors and amazing acting in short.
Music:
Above average music(according to my ears that is). But the music in the background carried the movie forward.
Errata:
I have a special affection towards the Tyler Durden character, because, he did what the legendary Joker could never do(In Dark Knight), despite suffering from schizo..which is that of creating chaos. I have a personal affinity towards chaos, and Durden just beat the Joker at the post!!! (of course, he didnt have the incorruptible Batman to handle, but YOU are always YOUR best enemy)
Some Negs:
The climax was a bit off the mark. The gun shot and all was exaggerated. Edward Norton's character could have as well been killed in the movie. It would have given a better impact.
More cheesy lines could have been included for Edward. Its Pitt who always gets the best lines.
I learnt a few things from this movie though:
1.Schizo is a very tough mental disease for anyone to handle
2.Creating chaos is rather easy
3.Follow fight club's guide to create your own blind following(if you want to that is) :D
anyways, great movie, great work Fincher and Uhls
cheers,
Fight club-what an experience it was..
So what makes fight club tick??
When you have this fantastic plot with schizophrenia linked-joker type chaos creation-and a feminine interest with an amazing cast consisting of edward norton and brad pitt, you can expect a roller coaster of a movie which exactly is fight club
Plot:
Pretty simple. Our protagonist suffers from insomnia. Later suffers from schizophrenia(without his knowledge of course) which cures his insomnia. Later realizes that he actually suffered from schizo...and realises that he is too late...pretty simple right???
The Ups:
Cinematography:
The strength of any good movie. And the frames are amazing. Right from showing the sleepy face of edward norton first up, to the close-up of the "man-boobs" of Bob, to the sensual scenes of pitt and carter and the final apocalypse, an amazing set of frames just adores the movie. Each angle has been chosen with care.
Screenplay:
One of the best i have seen. The way in which the insomnia was dealt with first up and then the schizo under-current and the all revealing climax, there can be no better screenplay for this script. And to put a girl as a pivot for a plot with two mental illnesses is to put the icing on the cake.
Dialogues:
Though a bit Tarentino-ish, the lines were cheesy. Sample, the soap preparation and the film making tutorials. Even the "oath-taking" dialogues were pretty good. And dialogues, being the essential portion of any movie, this surely had things up and right.
Acting/Casting:
I have no rights to comment on this section. Amazing actors and amazing acting in short.
Music:
Above average music(according to my ears that is). But the music in the background carried the movie forward.
Errata:
I have a special affection towards the Tyler Durden character, because, he did what the legendary Joker could never do(In Dark Knight), despite suffering from schizo..which is that of creating chaos. I have a personal affinity towards chaos, and Durden just beat the Joker at the post!!! (of course, he didnt have the incorruptible Batman to handle, but YOU are always YOUR best enemy)
Some Negs:
The climax was a bit off the mark. The gun shot and all was exaggerated. Edward Norton's character could have as well been killed in the movie. It would have given a better impact.
More cheesy lines could have been included for Edward. Its Pitt who always gets the best lines.
I learnt a few things from this movie though:
1.Schizo is a very tough mental disease for anyone to handle
2.Creating chaos is rather easy
3.Follow fight club's guide to create your own blind following(if you want to that is) :D
anyways, great movie, great work Fincher and Uhls
cheers,
Why Aadhavan killed me??
Aadhavan is supposed to be this tamizh(tam in short) movie which almost killed me this Diwali. No one other than Vijay has come this close to killing me!!
Reasons:
1.Story:The movie had the story of(ah..u call it a story huh??)"Ayan" which was "modified". Here the hero was an assassin, instead of a smuggler.
2.Surya: Look, this guy is more of an actor/performer. Not a rock star. No way. He cant even dance properly. So when you try and portray this guy as a rockstar...well...it sucks!!
3.Graphics: Just because the director had learnt some CG under Kamal's guidance in "Dasavataram", he shouldnt go about using it overtly and ineffectively.
Ex 1: The sniper scene in the beginning of the movie, where the hero shoots a guy miles..rather light years away,in another building from his building(the buildings were "part" of the graphics too)
Ex 2: The flashback scene where Surya's face was shrunk and morphed...horrible!!
4.The first kill: From underneath a pond!! with nobody noticing it...phew!!! I dont know how long tam cinema will survive these kinda murders
5.Nayantara: She always sucks. Doesnt dance, and she doesnt look good in bikinis and all(well...except the..hmmm...top parts of course :P )..But in this movie though, she looked a lot better than movies like "Villu" due to superb designing of her wears. But still...she sucked(except for the final shots of yeno panithuli song :P :P )
6.Flashback: Was it required?? I dont think so
7.Choreography: What happens when you have two people who can never shake a leg properly as the leads?? The choreography sucks right??? Thats what exactly happened
8.Cinematography: Bad cinematography for the songs especially
Ex 1: I heard the producer saying-"we wanted to shoot the song 'yeno yeno panithuli' in a snow filled region(due to the word 'panithuli' in the song), so we went to iceland". This clearly proves that the producer(and/or the cinematographer) have failed their respective geography exams at school. I mean, iceland is a region of hot springs, geysers, volcanoes, and fertile land. Consequently, they have got only one region of some sleet. So they shoot half of their song there-cups max. Second, they see a beautiful waterfall, show the same thing from infinite angles and bore the viewers.
Ex 2: In 'hasili fisiliye' song, nayan's half baked smile was shown for close to 10 secs, with the camera almost making a 270 degree turn corresponding to real peppy beats in the background. Now thats bad cinematography
Ex 3: all songs were shot really bad :D
Ex 4: In some scenes, the color wasnt maintained in the same tone. The boat scene in the 'yeno' song is a sample. In the same moving frame, i see different colors at different angles
9.Climax: I am too exhausted to write about it now, having written the above experience. So you know how was it right??
Saving graces:
Vadivelu's comedy in the first half
Harris' copied tunes
Hopefully Surya wakes up and gives sensible films from now on...
cheers,
Reasons:
1.Story:The movie had the story of(ah..u call it a story huh??)"Ayan" which was "modified". Here the hero was an assassin, instead of a smuggler.
2.Surya: Look, this guy is more of an actor/performer. Not a rock star. No way. He cant even dance properly. So when you try and portray this guy as a rockstar...well...it sucks!!
3.Graphics: Just because the director had learnt some CG under Kamal's guidance in "Dasavataram", he shouldnt go about using it overtly and ineffectively.
Ex 1: The sniper scene in the beginning of the movie, where the hero shoots a guy miles..rather light years away,in another building from his building(the buildings were "part" of the graphics too)
Ex 2: The flashback scene where Surya's face was shrunk and morphed...horrible!!
4.The first kill: From underneath a pond!! with nobody noticing it...phew!!! I dont know how long tam cinema will survive these kinda murders
5.Nayantara: She always sucks. Doesnt dance, and she doesnt look good in bikinis and all(well...except the..hmmm...top parts of course :P )..But in this movie though, she looked a lot better than movies like "Villu" due to superb designing of her wears. But still...she sucked(except for the final shots of yeno panithuli song :P :P )
6.Flashback: Was it required?? I dont think so
7.Choreography: What happens when you have two people who can never shake a leg properly as the leads?? The choreography sucks right??? Thats what exactly happened
8.Cinematography: Bad cinematography for the songs especially
Ex 1: I heard the producer saying-"we wanted to shoot the song 'yeno yeno panithuli' in a snow filled region(due to the word 'panithuli' in the song), so we went to iceland". This clearly proves that the producer(and/or the cinematographer) have failed their respective geography exams at school. I mean, iceland is a region of hot springs, geysers, volcanoes, and fertile land. Consequently, they have got only one region of some sleet. So they shoot half of their song there-cups max. Second, they see a beautiful waterfall, show the same thing from infinite angles and bore the viewers.
Ex 2: In 'hasili fisiliye' song, nayan's half baked smile was shown for close to 10 secs, with the camera almost making a 270 degree turn corresponding to real peppy beats in the background. Now thats bad cinematography
Ex 3: all songs were shot really bad :D
Ex 4: In some scenes, the color wasnt maintained in the same tone. The boat scene in the 'yeno' song is a sample. In the same moving frame, i see different colors at different angles
9.Climax: I am too exhausted to write about it now, having written the above experience. So you know how was it right??
Saving graces:
Vadivelu's comedy in the first half
Harris' copied tunes
Hopefully Surya wakes up and gives sensible films from now on...
cheers,
The Shaastra that wasnt
Funda:
1.If you dont know what Shaastra is, dont read further.
2.If you do know what Shaastra is, I dont have to explain you the funda right??
Why this title?
The answer is explained later in this...hmmm...hmmm....post???ok, whatever. I forgot the name.. Its been so looooonnnnngggg ago that i had written a full fledged "post" before.
Shaastra 2009:
The positives:
1.Had cleared a Shaastra quiz prelims for the first time
2.Had accomodated two of my friends in my room for the first time :D
3.Had a tough time during the 4 days, which taught me time management and "distance" management
4.Most importantly, I was a coordinator-for web operations that is. Learnt quite a lot from there.
5.Grub coupons(the extra that i got-thanks to my core :P) and the grub as such(it was superb)
The negs(obviously the bigger part):
1.This Shaastra wasn't as big as the previous one. Well, it got "recessed" i guess.
2.Due to bad planning, I ended up not doing a proper app for the hospi desk=>>hospi pain on all the four days.
3.I didnt apply for any of the "useful" workshops(like hackfest)
4.I applied for a workshop which was real dumb-the cinematography workshop
5.I flunked the first day fully.
6.I didnt win any event(last yr, i won chem x)
7.The standard of questions in SMQ and HTW was pathetic :(...(you see, i cleared the prelims...I!!!!!!)
8.My cycle cupped at the start of Shaastra=>>I had to walk all four days.
9.I was feeling real depressed through out the four days-dont know why
10.I couldnt give proper time to my friends who had come there solely to meet me-inter personal relationship cup(again :( :( :( )
11.Etc.
Hopefully, the next time around, it will be a lot better.
Thanks for everybody who either helped me/impeded me...You made a difference this Shaastra(I mean, I will remember this as a trough for sure :P )
so...looking forward to Shaastra 2010(and my role in it)
cheers,
1.If you dont know what Shaastra is, dont read further.
2.If you do know what Shaastra is, I dont have to explain you the funda right??
Why this title?
The answer is explained later in this...hmmm...hmmm....post???ok, whatever. I forgot the name.. Its been so looooonnnnngggg ago that i had written a full fledged "post" before.
Shaastra 2009:
The positives:
1.Had cleared a Shaastra quiz prelims for the first time
2.Had accomodated two of my friends in my room for the first time :D
3.Had a tough time during the 4 days, which taught me time management and "distance" management
4.Most importantly, I was a coordinator-for web operations that is. Learnt quite a lot from there.
5.Grub coupons(the extra that i got-thanks to my core :P) and the grub as such(it was superb)
The negs(obviously the bigger part):
1.This Shaastra wasn't as big as the previous one. Well, it got "recessed" i guess.
2.Due to bad planning, I ended up not doing a proper app for the hospi desk=>>hospi pain on all the four days.
3.I didnt apply for any of the "useful" workshops(like hackfest)
4.I applied for a workshop which was real dumb-the cinematography workshop
5.I flunked the first day fully.
6.I didnt win any event(last yr, i won chem x)
7.The standard of questions in SMQ and HTW was pathetic :(...(you see, i cleared the prelims...I!!!!!!)
8.My cycle cupped at the start of Shaastra=>>I had to walk all four days.
9.I was feeling real depressed through out the four days-dont know why
10.I couldnt give proper time to my friends who had come there solely to meet me-inter personal relationship cup(again :( :( :( )
11.Etc.
Hopefully, the next time around, it will be a lot better.
Thanks for everybody who either helped me/impeded me...You made a difference this Shaastra(I mean, I will remember this as a trough for sure :P )
so...looking forward to Shaastra 2010(and my role in it)
cheers,
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