DUNKIRK (2017) - Review

A movie about survival, a story based on the evacuation and not on the ‘Battle of Dunkirk’. Chris Nolan took a piece of a historical event happened during WWII and converted into a brilliant movie.

Highlights: Wonderful editing and Innovative Screenplay - what Nolan films are constantly best at.

Supporting actors are sprinkled all over. The characters are not developed well; therefore I couldn’t care much about any of them except Tom Hardy.

Hans Zimmer’s soundtracks are pure bliss to hearing organs as it has always been.

A movie must balance the two key factors, style and substance. Even if one goes out of proportion, then it may lead to the downfall of entire work. I think Dunkirk balances both style and substance at the same level. A bit more of style than substance to be precise, kudos to the cinematography genius Hoyte van Hoytema and those high resolution IMAX film cameras.

Overall, a spectacular job from the crew. Many accolades await them.

Reducing the dialogues and focusing more on the conflict was a smart move, which was previously done by Kubrick and Spielberg in their works. It’s good to see Nolan following their footsteps. I wouldn't even mind if the dialogues were completely reduced. This has so much potential to be a great silent film.

Apart from a single quote in the 3rd act, the film casually ignores the French involvement in the evacuation. Well... this is an English movie at a Hollywood budget and does the job as so. It’s such a shame on how the movie shows the whole incident just from the British perspective. If another 20 minutes was dedicated to the French’s contribution, the movie would have been monumental. That being said, this is nothing new, usual Hollywood recipe.

2hrs and 30 minutes is the average runtime of a typical Nolan film. To compare it with this 1hr 50 minutes war drama, along with these undeveloped characters struggling for their survival  -VOID - The miracle in the climax was supposed to give us goosebumps or at least something to cheer but in end, I couldn’t feel anything other than emptiness. There is no doubt that the film was crafted well (both visually and the way story was told) but what use does it have when it lacks emotions? This is a war film. Give us some gore, bloodshed, real struggle, pain to witness Mr. Nolan. Make us uncomfortable, feel pity. We don’t want extras lying around pretending dead. These are the areas where Black Hawk Down and Saving Private Ryan really shine.

Did Nolan reach the heights of S Kubrick? Definitely not, there is not even a comparison, not yet. I would still pick Dr. Strangelove over Dunkirk any day. There are many positives to be noted from this 110 minute lesson for the aspiring writers and filmmakers. But also few negatives Nolan must make a note for himself.

Dunkirk is a classic and will remain so, for the years to come, at least from the Hollywood and British point of view.

This is one of the good movies of this year, if not the best and that’s my opinion.

A solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐⛥.

Nothing more, nothing less.

REVIEW: NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (2016)

*Minor Spoilers*

Since trailers nowadays reveal almost everything, they are nothing but shame. Between the mixed and positive reviews, I decided to hit Nocturnal Animals with zero expectations, after i barely saw the poster and knew nothing except the leads.

The film being a thriller, shows a brief introduction of the play, later takes the audience where they would want to be in the First Act without wasting much time. There is no doubt that Amy adams is having the best year of her career. About to become 36, Jake Gyllenhaal has already proven us what he's capable of. While other actors/celebrities crawling and crippling just for the sake of reaching the Oscar Statuette, Gyllenhaal delivers his top-notch performance yet again with ease. Aaron Taylor-Johnson for a surprise and Michael Shannon, are amazing and providing equal supporting roles respectively. A rare occasion where we see such Intensive performances between the casts.

Breathtaking screenplay which speaks clear for itself and never tries to do too many things at once. Though most of the script is based on the novel but handling the parallel-intersecting narrative is made so viewer friendly; all kudos to the brilliance in editing. Stunning cinematography and Abel Korzeniowski's vintage touch in the score makes the thriller even more gripping.

After halfway through, wondering how the conclusion might be, in terms of quality. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. that's why every trick has a third act, the hardest part, where the answer lies.. and Dir. Tom Ford plays the safe game.

As the end credits roll, I left my seat with a smile, asking the filmmaker in mind "So, this is your trump card?"

Verdict: Nocturnal Animals is a frightening-malicious thriller crafted so well that it leaves a heavy impression on the audience with its simple yet powerful plot. Whether it may or may not get the attention from the Academy, NA is arguably one of the best films of this year; and one of a kind.

Rewards Satisfaction when expectations are sacrificed.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) ~ Review

Contains*Minor Spoilers*

After all the hype and nearly a decade wait, did Episode VII of Star Wars live upto the expectations? To begin with the cast, leading in the front, John boyega and Harrison ford, both of them did exceptionally well. Would have been more better if Rey didn't sound british or Kylo ren wasn't another whinny Anakin. Just kidding, he is way better than George lucas's Anakin was, of course. Oscar issac and Domhnall gleeson were pretty decent in their respective roles as well. Captain phasma was nothing but a mere cameo. Han and Chewie combo, such a treat to watch! John williams's nostalgic background scores, a masterpiece! and the standout Rey's theme simply nailed it.

The concept of the storyline is similar to one of the previous episodes, which makes us to think "Have the writers ran out of new scripts that they decided to make the new trilogy, a mashup remake, beginning all over again?" Well placed action, CGI and humour kept the movie even alive and rolling; building up to the element of surprise. Few flaws pops up but are not too serious to be considered when the movie gives you one heck of a ride.

There are no major plot holes. Alas, the screenplay is predictable in some parts. Overall, a good package. As a fan of Star wars, couldn't expect a better christmas present. For those, who shall complain, be thankful that it came out better than all the prequel trilogy. Yes, I mean all -including Revenge of the sith. Thanks to the man behind everything, J.J.Abrams, for bringing the magic into the big screens with no less satisfaction! Didn't he do well to save the franchise and undo all the damages done by the first two episodes?

Verdict: 
THE AWAKENED FORCE: Close to A NEW HOPE!
Flattering adventure :)

Rating: 8/10

Spider-Man to appear in "Captain America: Civil War"; Sinister Six Delayed

As you know by now, Marvel and Sony have struck an agreement that will bring Spider-Man into the Marvel cinematic universe. Many details were left out of the announcement, but more information is spilling out here and there.

The announcements states, "The new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film from Marvel's Cinematic Universe "but it doesn't say which film. This is where The Wall Street Journal has stepped in with a new report confirming a Spidey appearance in Captain America 3:

The two companies said late Monday that Spider-Man will appear in an upcoming Disney-produced Marvel super-heroes movie; that movie is 2016's "Captain America: Civil War", according to a person with the knowledge of the matter.

We also know that the next solo Spider-Man film, which is being co-produced by Marvel and Sony Pictures, will arrive in 2017. The Wall Street Journal also claims that Andrew Garfield is out, as there will be "a new version of the web-slinger."

And what does this new deal mean for The Sinister Six movie Drew Goddard ("Cabin In the Woods") has been working on for over a year?

Sony Pictures Entertainment Brings Marvel Studios Into The Amazing World Of Spider-Man http://t.co/8ni1EUEYv4 pic.twitter.com/gpWDnUqGD4

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) February 10, 2015

Sony will delay its planned release of "The Sinister Six", about a group of Spider-Man villains, in wake of the new deal said a person involved in movie. It had been scheduled for release in November of 2016. - WSJ

Vellai Illa Pattathari (2014) ~ Review

       Dhanush certainly marked his own unique style in Indian Cinema yet imitating his father-in-law has become a routine for him recently. Anirudh scores again as usual! Although source for some of his composed tunes belongs to middle-eastern musicians, this guy has got something huge coming to him (No sarcasm). Thankfully, the film maker avoided awkward romances in foreign soil for a good for nothing duet., which is really a big thing to appreciate in modern kollywood movies. Amala Paul (Shalini) living next door to the hero can be seen in her house terrace 24*7 or driving her car. Good contributions from Saranya and Samuthirakani, who reprise their role as parents for the protagonist. This movie is a compilation of Dhanush's previous flicks Thiruvilayaadal aarambam, Padikathavan and Yaaradi nee mohini. Same old concept which has been used in tamil cinema since 90's is repeated here. The end credit says "The film is dedicated to engineering students and VIP's" has no stuff to inspire the so-called VIP's.

Rating: 6.0/10

Verdict:
#VIP - Vettiya Iruntha Paarunga (Watch it if you're free)
Just another crowd pleasing commercial entertainer.

Amazing Spider Man 2 (2014) ~ Review

    One of the best adaptations from the comics. Quality piece of work again from Hans Zimmer, really intriguing stuff. There aren't much appalling qualities as far as the script is concerned except there's no strong or reasonable story behind why the guys (villains) had to turn against Spider-man all of a sudden? Decent screenplay from Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner. Director Marc Webb made good use of leading artists. The Relationship between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy is a highlight. I still wonder why the movie didn't hit the Box Office. People are forced to believe the false pretense because of some anonymous reviews and ratings. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Verdict:
Amazing Spider-man never fails to amaze us in the sequel. A Special treat for superhero movie lovers and Spidey fans.

Veeram (2014) ~ Review

Focusing the high resolution device on the star, forwarding it in slow motion, who already has a slow walk. Simultaneously keep playing the only composed soundtrack from start till the end. That's it... I'm tired of watching this same old crap right from Billa, Mankatha to Arrambam.. and now Veeram. It's useless to expect for a change in future. Other than that, directors are making good use of Ajith in recent flicks, taking out only what he's capable of., instead of over doing anything silly. And all of a sudden, things got worse after the intermission. By the shaved look of our ultimate star.. Nasser, who plays father of a novice actress keeps calling ajith as 'thambi'.. I think he really means that :D (or perhaps he was thinking him as 'samanthi' the whole time :P and it became a twist for him at the end) 

Quality of the movie is almost as bad as Siruthai, saving the first part with Santhanam and leaving the next part going berserk. Siva was targeting to reduce the budget of the entertainer, so he started with Ajith's costume i.e wearing the white combination throughout 2 hrs and 41 mins. Songs are well placed but misplaced. The copy-paste king DSP will never disappoint us.

Rating: 5/10

Verdict:

Veeram now holds the record of the longest dhoti commercial! ;) and takes a heavy toll on poor audiences :/

Note: Nobody is against commercial movies if it is made good.

WINNER OF PONGAL RACE:
People who avoided  #Jilla & #Veeram. I salute those who saved their penny /\ Fans are fighting for the better among abysmal.

Jilla (2014) ~ Review

For the price of one, we were shown five films (From Godfather, Aiyaa to Dheena) and witnessed one of the poorest screenplay in the history of Tamil cinema. No wonder R.T.Neason was Remake Raja's assistant. Each and every punch dialogue's of the Malayalam star begins with his role name 'Shivan' and hearing after umpteenth time, i totally forgot his real name by the end of the movie :P All i could do, is to sit back with my hands on my head, squirmed, grimaced during the whole gruesome first half.

I see many people, who say Jilla is like Pokkiri-2, but in-spite the fact of pokkiri being a Telugu remake, it was lot better in many ways. Vijay imitating his own acting and style from the later one didn't look any better and seemed ridiculous. Poor dialogue delivery from him (Similar to Pokkiri). Changing the voice modulation doesn't work for him. I'm surprised to hear that the flick is called blockbuster, when even a follower of the actor like me couldn't take it more! D.Imman's music was good but didn't provide the powerful frequency when it was most needed. Yet again, Sampath - the only highlight in the cast and rest are just a showcase. There are not many applauding factors in this Pongal potboiler.

Rating: 5/10

Verdict: 

Vijay failed to start the year with high note.

Jilla disappoints: This will be a bitter truth to his fans.

Biriyani (2013) ~ Review

All the key ingredients are properly mixed and served. There isn't much to criticize about the story or the movie. Venkat Prabhu mastering the commercial formula, covers our South-Indian audiences really well with the masala feast which is what needed the most considering our current trend. As a result, everyone came out pleased with the way things went. 

The Director finally manages to end Karthi's 2 Year diet. But the worrying part is.. he's either trying something new in the wrong way or doing something wrong in the right way. At-least in future i hope that he doesn't give unnecessary importance to his goofy brother or use the names, dialogues, songs or visuals of other famous celebrities to gather cheap publicity. Well forget that... that is never going to happen :| I still wonder why such a creative talent like Venkat prabhu is planting other's idea and style in his features when he has got his modus operandi of film making?

Coming to the cast, most of them has got nothing to do with the story and are appearing among titular guest roles, including Hansika Motwani. Mandy thakkar, a serious deception! Good use of camera and pacy screenplay are the extra scores to the exuberant entertainer. Some of the scenes are utterly copied (eg., from 21 Jump Street). Meanwhile, the movie being U1's 100, the hit albums & tracks from Hollywood to Kollywood are playing a huge contribution than Yuvan's music.

Rating: 6/10

Verdict:
The Movie will be a big hit commercially ! Otherwise, it's just an Ok movie with some plot holes IMHO.

My Dear Director Saar,
Biriyani la piece'u mattum hot ah iruntha pothathu :P Better try to come up with something new ji (No-offense) :P

Irandam Ulagam (2013) ~ Review

Selvaragavan clearly following the footsteps of Darren aronofsky. Yet again his intelligence comes to play. The Title depicts the whole story, which showcases love & death. The Plot and things like switching the screenplay to parallel universe simultaneously reminded me of 'The Fountain (2006)'. Bunch of mistakes in the 1st half spoiled the fun. Second half is all about fighting the dumbest chauvinistic evil force. The Unknown second world contains contrasting visuals. Be it fantasy, including too much colorful essence to the celluloid was not a brilliant idea. Nevertheless, fabulous picturization. By this time, Ramji must be receiving adulation for his spectacular work.

The esoteric mythical love story taking place in another world is more or less a sparkling fairly tale and likely be told to kids during bed time. Budget cannot be an excuse all the time for bad visual effects. If budget is a constraint, it's best not to even try doing such a shoddy job (i.e applying hue tones everywhere in the field or showing dragon like creatures always flying around just because it's an alien planet).

Anushka's performance, a huge let down. I didn't expect anything from Arya because i know time and again he'll prove why he's a half-talented hero :P Our fellow audiences lost in translation trying to understand the motive. Aayirathil Oruvan had a strong story and made a tremendous impact. Even though Mayakkam enna was partly inspired from 'A Beautiful Mind (2001)', it was beautiful at some stages whereas Irandam Ulagam failed to deliver the hidden intensity. The director who preached the importance of love in his flicks Kadhal Kondein and 7G Rainbow colony in a distinctive way couldn't able to do the same in the fantasy world. Most of the play should have been improved. As i mentioned earlier, every good movie gets spoiled by its own content.

My Opinion: 
Don't come to a conclusion after hearing it from anyone (that includes me). Until you watch the film, make no change to your anticipation.

Rating: 5.5/10

Verdict:
Valiant effort from the courageous film maker. All i could see is symptoms of him falling into a trap in the near future. I'm also not sure whether this would be praised by current generation cinema fans.