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Showing posts with label Movie Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movie Review. Show all posts
Feb 4, 2010
Rann Movie Review
Rann could’ve been a good film if it was technically sound, if the script did not have gaping holes, if the characters were well etched, if plot was well researched and if, on the whole the story was not so idealistically predictable. Rating: 2.5/5
Ram Gopal Verma’s Rann is all about a good media baron, who is the pillar of journalistic values and integrity, fighting the bad ones who sensationalize news at the expense of truth to fill their own pockets. What happens in the end? Well, the good guy Harshvardhan Malik (Amitabh Bachchan), who has oft lost the TRP battle to his rival Amrish (Mohnish Behl), unearths the conspiracy between media and politics, delivers a smashing 8-minute soliloquy on integrity and social responsibility and voila! All’s well that ends well!
Like Madhur Bhandarkar, the only striking revelation Ram Gopal Verma makes through his film is – politics heavily influences media and misuses it and media people succumb to it because of their moral weakness. To throw in a bit of reality, they have peppered in a sting operation, and of course the RGV signature cinematography of dark and dingy frames, the lingering close-up shots and the haunting background score.
By the time all the characters are established you know exactly where the film is heading to, because every character is so flat and either black or white, that there is hardly anything left to expect out of the film.
Performances were good, Amitabh Bachchan deserves a pat on his back for pulling of the performance well, but it doesn’t seem any big deal for him to give performances like these. His character was so flat that he almost sleepwalks through it. We all know, at that age, with that experience and expertise, AB can definitely do much better in a well written role.
Rann could’ve been a good film if it was technically sound, if the script did not have gaping holes, if the characters were well etched, if plot was well researched and if, on the whole the story was not so idealistically predictable.
Can do better RGV! Keep trying!
Rating – 2.5/3
Ishqiya Movie Review
Smart, sassy, sexy and saucy – a suspenseful noir-thriller and a crisp comedy will leave you with a nice after-taste of having something exotic, raw, and familiar yet unconventionally delicious! Rating 4/5
Welcome to Chaubey’s Ishqiya – where the narrative twists and turns like a naagin, leaving you to wonder where it’s actually heading to, and where the characters are real, raw, impulsive, unabashedly honest about themselves and as unpredictable as the tale itself. A film that glides over genres of a suspenseful noir-thriller and a crisp comedy will leave you with a nice after-taste of having something exotic, raw, and familiar yet unconventionally delicious!
Ishqiya works at many levels and layers. Of what I could identify, the top most is of a love triangle between Krishna (Vidya Balan) and two small crooks Khalujaan (Naseeruddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Varsi). The second of the dramatic pole shifts in the moods of the characters that mould the story as per their impulses and the third layer is of sarcasm, colorful language, blasphemy, raw sexuality and symbolism! All the three layers visible to the eye and audible to ear are in sync – perfect harmony!
What makes Ishqiya memorable fare are dialogues and performances. Performances that breathe life into the characters – be it the cunning and scheming Vidya Balan who emotes anger, vengeance, love, lust and intelligence all through her eyes, yet not losing the innocence and vulnerability. And then the emotional, yet charmingly sweet Naseeruddin Shah, a hard core romantic at heart and a witty flirt, who can at one end impress Krishna with his musical inclinations and the other spew venom with his witty taunts. Arshad Varsi as Babban is the stark opposite, lusty, raw who lacks Khalu’s wisdom but impresses with his objectivity. People, who outsmart him, impress him. Check the admiration in his eyes when he interacts with the panch-kam-bees Nandu who outsmarts him. His street-smartness helps him score over sweet Khalu to win Krishna over to his side.
Dialogues are outstanding! There is no other way I can express how the dialogues enhance the silent chemistry in the love triangle or leave the audience in splits with their timing and wit. The dialogues also contribute to the verbal irony of the situation – ‘Sab se gehri dushmani miyan biwi ki hoti hai’ as the wise Khalu comments referring to Krishna’s motives! The dialogues form the crux of the film effectively supported by the old tunes of SD Burman and Hemant Kumar adding to the rustic appeal of the old-fashioned love of Khalujaan and the latest Bollywood tunes adding to the sexual aggression and lusty youth of Babban.
Abhishek Chaubey is a smart disciple of guru Vishal Bhardwaj, for a debut director, he is amazing! Vishal Bhardwaj’s music impresses along with his wife Rekha Bhardwaj’s mellifluous voice. The only average thing about this classic is the editing which seems clumsy at times and the climax seems a little obscure with respect to the plot development. But we are willing to forgive that for the awesome entertainment value the film has.
Dec 5, 2009
Amaravathi - Movie Review
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Cast: Bhumika, Sneha, Gadde Sindhura, Tarakaratna, Allari Ravi Babu, and others
Dialogues: Nivas
Music: Sekhar Chandra
Cinematography: Sudhakar Reddy
Editing: Shankar
Art: Narayana Reddy
Fights: Kanal Kannan
Produced by: Ananda Prasad
Banner: Bhavya Creations
Story, screenplay and directed by: Ravi Babu
CBFC Rating: A
Release Date: Dec 03, 2009
What’s it about!
The film is set in Mutyala Revu. Amaravathi (Bhumika) and Seenu (Tarakaratna) are childhood buddies but are separated once they become adults as Amaravathi's father doesn't like his daughter becoming close with this low class guy. Seenu is completely obsessed with Amaravathi. Years later, a series of killings happen. A serial killer is on the prowl to snatch babies from womb of pregnant women. Seenu is the prime suspect and is arrested by Special Task Force police officer Venkat (Ravi Babu) and his associate Kiran (Gadde Sindhura). Even after his arrest, murders continue to happen. And it is revealed that the killer’s next target is Venkat’s pregnant wife Lata (Sneha). Who is that serial killer and what is his motive is told in eerie manner in the later sequences.
Analysis
After much-liked thriller Anasuya and critically acclaimed Nachchavule, director Allari Ravi Babu comes up with this thriller - Amaravathi. Although there are many similarities between his Anasuya and thisAmaravathi, this latest thriller’s storyline and some scenes are hard to digest. A killer snatches babies from the womb from several pregnant women when they are in last stages of pregnancy. Such cruel acts are also shown by the director visually. Such extreme scenes might faint weak-hearted. Despite some good thrilling moments, some suspenseful scenes, not everyone can stomach horrific acts like babies taken away from womb. Although it starts off well, and holds attention in many parts, on the whole, the movie is too gore and puts you off.
The film is technically sound with rich visuals and good artwork. Yet, the atmosphere and police vans all look unnatural - where did you find such hi-tech task force setup, ultra dressing style for cops, posh vehicles in Andhra Pradesh?
Performances
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Sudhakar Reddy brings rich look to the film with his topnotch camera work.Ravi Babu seems to have inspired by several Hollywood and Korean thrillers and included them well in his screenplay. Ravi Babu keeps the suspense element till the end by his screenplay but scares the audiences with his ‘extreme’ script. Music and dialogues are okay.
Bottom-line!
Amaravathi is certainly not for the weak-hearted as it is hard to digest some ‘extreme scenes’. Although it has some interesting scenes, on the whole, it fails to impress like his earlier thriller ( Anasuya).
Rating 2.75/5
Pravarkyudu - Movie Review
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Cast: Jagapathi Babu, Priyamani, Brahmanandam, Sunil, Hamsa Nandini, CVL, Chalapaathi Rao and others
Music: M M Keeravani
Lyrics: Chaitanya Prasad
Cinematography: Surender Reddy
Editing: M R Varma
Choreography: Raju Sundaram, Kalyan, Vidya
Produced by: Ganesh Indukuri
Story, screenplay and directed by: December 4, 2009
CBFC Rating: U/A
What’s it about!
Sasi (Jagapathi Babu) is professor of Zoology at Harvard University. He returns to India and looks for alliances for his wedding but doesn’t like anyone in particular. A friend tells him that he is looking for Shailaja (Priyamani), his girlfriend during college days in every girl. Now the movie goes back to the college days. During P.G studies, he likes Shalija, a simple girl, but refuses to admit his love and they part ways due to misunderstandings. Now, she is a principal at all women’s college, a very strict disciplinarian at that. Sasi joins her college as lecturer in an attempt to win her back. How he convinces her and wins her love after 10 years and what tricks does he follow for it is rest of the movie all about.
Analysis
With Pellaina Kottalo, which starred Jagapathi Babu and Priyamani, writer Madan turned director and he won praise for that film. To repeat the same magic, he has made Pravarkyudu with the same couple. The basic plotline - two lovers who drifted ways for various reasons finding the true love 10 years later, sounds good on paper. But the execution of the film is not that smooth like the concept. Only second half and climax sequences are convincing in this film as director Madan fails to handle his theme perfectly. On the whole, the film is okay but it could have been better if the length is trimmed and more comedy is included. Rich production values and big budget for a Jagapathi Babu’s film has given the movie good ‘color’, though!
Performances
Jagapathi Babu as a college professor looks good. His performance in the climax scenes evokes right mood. But as college student, he looks odd, despite his young looks and perfect costumes. National award winning actress Priyamani shows off her real talent. Hamsa Nandini is sexy. Especially in some scenes, she looks stunning and enticing. Brahmanandam’s comedy is okay. But Ali and Sunil are wasted.
One of the major plus points of the film is its cool looks thanks to good cinematography by Surender Reddy and rich production values by Ganesh Indukuri. The other major drawback is uninspiring music by M M Keeravani. None of the songs are lilting. As writer Madan is talented, but as director he still needs to hone skills. In many scenes, the writer in him dominated the director. And also dodged on unnecessary scenes which is nothing but waste of money for producers.
Bottom-line!
Second half especially the climax sequences are strengths of Pravarkyudu. Although it has interesting plot line but it could have been better if handled in better way. On the whole, it is okay movie.
Rating: 3/5
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