Movie Review - Devudu Chesina Manushulu (Telugu) – One ticket, Two movies!!

Tokkalanti cinema… Kaadu Kaadu… Tokka nadipina cinema!!

A film without story is akin to a body without soul, and no one likes a dead body. It seems Puri Jagannadh is not aware of this fact. He’s created the much needed hype around the movie calling it an experimental story, err, experiment without a story. He also walked an extra mile saying that successful movies can be made without a STORY. In Devudu Chesina Manushulu, he does the same. Albeit the movie starts on a story-telling note with a socio-fantasical premise where Lord Vishnu narrates/shows a love story of two orphans to Lakshmi Devi, this movie lacks the STORY.  In the end, everyone tries to give their version of climax and makes it hard to stomach.

The screenplay is different but not new to Telugu/South cinema. There’s a 90s movie, Adrustham, starring Naresh, with the same screenplay. In Tamil there are some movies with such a screenplay. Pawan Kalyan starrer Kushi directed by S J Surya, and  Prabhas starrer Darling directed by A Karunakaran; more or less fits in the shoes of this type of screenplay. In Hollywood we’ve got many distant cousins who use such a snowball effect that leads to some unrelated events falling under the ambit of the movie’s screenplay and drive the plot further. I hope John Woo’s Paycheck (*ing Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman) started ringing in your mind.

Puri Jaganaddh’s secret of success is SPEED. May be right from his school days, he’s thrown the quote “Slow and steady wins the race” in a trash bin. He shows lightning speed in script work, casting, execution, wrapping up shooting schedules etc. But he should realize that story development and screenwriting takes time or else what come out of his stable are half-baked bricks such as DCM. Though this film moves at a rapid pace, like every other Puri's film, it leads to loads of confusion.

The movie starts with a note from the director - “Devudunnadani poorthiga nammi ee cinema choodandi...” Avunu sir meeru kuda Devudunnadani, Ilaanti cinemani HIT chesthaadani poorthiga nammi ee cinema teesinatlunnaru..!! The movie’s title has the word “Manushulu,” but none of the character behaves like a “Manishi.” The protagonist of the movie is the BANANA PEEL and is instrumental in showing the audience two movies for the price of one. The rest of the movie is haphazardly set around the series of events that follow – “What happens if you step on a banana peel and what happens if you don’t?”

Ravi Teja’s does the age old act of buffoonery for which he is known for, and Puri has reached saturation in carving a niche to his characters. One can see traces of Prabhas’s character from Ek Niranjan and other past heroes of Puri’s films in Ravi Teja’s character in DCM. Ileana donned a new look but the beauty of Puri’s Ileana can’t be seen here. Again, her character is a photocopy of her role in Nenu Naa Rakshasi. Surprisingly, Prakash Raj's forced to emote and do a lot of over-acting esp. in the sister sentiment scene which's dragged to death perturbing the audience.

Bottom-line: In DCM, both the stories (tokka meeda kaalu vesthe, tokka meeda kaalu veyyakapothe) compete with each other on distastefulness. And the, post interval, pathetic Story 2 effortlessly wins over Story 1 in the first half. Puri shines at places as a dialogue writer, but fails miserably as a director. Apart from the screenplay, that’s partly engaging, and the comedy scenes between Ali and Lord Vishnu & Lakshmi Devi (Again Puri might land into trouble for touching the sensitive issue) there’s nothing worth watching and everything else is run-on-the-mill stuff. The use of a modified version of S S Rajamouli's Chatrapathi's theme in the background gives us some laughs. Watch it if you have nothing else to watch or better watch Julayi again!!

My Review: Expectation - 6/10; Reality - 3/10

Watchlist - A Separation - Emotionally stirring!!

One of my favourite films by far. A Separation is an emotionally stirring film, rooted in Iran. Delving into the realm of a breaking family, the film explores how economics, religion, morality and Alzheimer's intermingle with the dynamics of the family and complicate matters beyond repair. Deeply layered, this film is a must watch!!

 

Movie Review - Julayi (Telugu) - Writing RULES, Execution FALTERS!!

Life ante HIGHWAY
Gelupu ONE-WAY
Short-cuts ki NO-WAY!!

From the word GO, “Maatala Maantrikudu” Trivikram makes a thumping impact in his latest offering Julayi. Fasten your seatbelts and join Inside the Celluloid in the journey to disinter few more gems from this Trivikram’s celluloid!!

Let’s start the innings with relating our experiences during online shopping, esp. when we book railway tickets, with that of watching this movie.

1. You wait all these days and finally breathe a sigh of relief when you are in front of the computer/laptop/iPad (based on the riches you possess) at 7:55 AM a day before your journey and wait for the TATKAL booking to begin.

You wait for two years for a Trivikram’s film (the last one was Khaleja in 2010) that’s packed with loads of surprises and you are longing to watch them unleash on screen.

2. You traverse through the site with some hiccups and umpteen REFRESHES of the page and finally you hit the payment gateway screen.

During the course of your cinematic journey, at times you touch the valley of death and at times you summit the peak and garner some outlandish, hitherto unseen experiences. You will learn that Trivikram is not just for the auditory, and the touch of genius proves its mettle in gluing your eyeballs to the screen with his detail for aesthetics and visual panache.

3. Finally, you feel that you’ve struck gold. But Alas! Online railway ticket booking is not that easy and now it’s time for the moribund moment of your shopping experience. There comes in a flash, an excruciating message – TRANSACTION FAILED!!

What starts as an enthralling movie takes the course of an entertaining one in the middle and again it tries to take the enthralling route to the end, but fails miserably hitting the abyss. After the magnanimous second half with some convolutions, the movie suddenly drops you in quick sand. There you battle for air and finally get buried with the climax. With some loose ends still left after THE END, the movie goes awry.

Trivikram has always been “Expect the unexpected,” and in Julayi he sticks to his patented style of film-making. In the act that follows the opening scene and hero’s introduction, he tries to present the story with a "Christopher Nolan meets Guy Ritchie" perspective. The way he executed the plan (no spoilers here) is very Nolanish (with allusions to The Dark Knight) and the deductive logic used by Allu Arjun’s character to nab criminals is very much Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes. The audience gets aghast with the uncanny narration in the first 20 minutes of the film (AIR and Bhairava Kona will linger on your mind for long). It tickles your mind and you pose a question to yourself – Am I watching a Tollywood flick or a Hollywood one, or a cross-over of Holly and Tollywood??!!

Allu Arjun delivers an awesome performance. He’s funny, witty, and emotional and has got everything required for a Telugu hero. Thanks to Trivikram for etching his character so well. Ileana plays the role of a “behenji turned model,” and when she appears on screen it’s evident that’s a song is imminent. After ages, Rajendra Prasad is seen in a full-length comedy role. The supporting cast takes the laugh riot forward with Brahmanadam at the helm of affairs.

The music is already on top of the charts. The background score complements the movie and Devi Sri Prasad leaves no stone unturned in the music department. The beautifully shot "Oh Madhu, Oh Madhu" and “Osey Osey” makes you groove and "Mee Intiki Mundho Gate" overflows with energy and creativity. But the black sheep in the movie is the song “Pakado Pakado.” The much touted one falls prey to improper placement and poor execution.  

There’s a mention about writer’s block in the film in a funny scene, and now it’s time for us to learn about DIRECTOR’S BLOCK that’s a menace for most of the film-makers.

Why everyone has got the material only for a power-packed first half and runs out of steam in the second.

Why always we appreciate the writer Trivikram and pay less attention to director Trivkram.

When you intentionally want to save something for the later half then why should that be shown as a fallacy in the pre-interval scene.

Why can’t we have movies that are enthralling and entertaining? Is it a death knell for seamless entertainers?

Try to find answers for these questions after you watch the film. Trivikram rules our hearts as a great writer but his directional prowess is still debatable.

Bottom-line: Julayi is a mélange of power packed performances, happy-go-lucky characters, sumptuous dialogues, rib-tickling comedy, colorful and creative songs, and a MESSAGE. But all that glitters is not gold; the movie watching experience is akin to driving an Audi A8 at 100 KMPH on a road with intermittent speed bumps and potholes. If you are a fan of Trivikram, with every new film you want to take your adoration to high skies, but with Julayi your FLIGHT gets restricted only to certain heights!!

My Rating: Expectation - 8/10; Reality - 7/10

Movie Review - Jism 2 (Hindi) - Less EROTIC, More ERRATIC!!

We ran a contest wherein we asked the audience to pen down a review for Jism 2 in two words. And these are the popular responses we’ve got.

Damp Squib

Soporific Surprise

Naïve attempt

Sleazeless Saga

Dumbo Bimbo

After many deliberations we chose this one - Awesom Bosom!!

One thing that ruled the roost is American porn star Sunny Leone’s gravity-defying bosom. It’s shown with utmost precision using every possible camera moment and angle, and still she was effortless in making the film sleazeless!! Shocked or surprised?! Read on to taste some flash in the pan moments that could not maneuver the sinking ship to the shore. C’mon guys, we can’t blame the poor little iceberg every time.

What could have been a love story with elements of suspense, eroticism, and spine chilling moments turned bland and soporific. It’s time Bhatt family can open a clinic to treat insomnia patients with their wide array of recent films. Thanks to Pooja Bhatt and her dismal execution. When you can’t handle one department properly why poke your finger into production design, production and other areas. Hope she learns this valuable lesson the hard way.

Mahesh Bhatt should be giving credit for writing loosely etched characters, effusive dialogues, weaving an awkward chemistry between the characters etc. The film revolves around three characters: Isna (Sunny Leone), Kabir (Randeep Hooda) and Ayan/Karan (Arunoday Singh). Isna is not a character, just a piece of garnish to make the meal palatable. Other have equally half-baked characters that follow the footsteps of Isna.

Incidentally, Sunny Leone plays a porn star in the film, and that’s a ploy by Bhatts to justify her stance and make her callous during sexual encounters with many men. The audacity with which she portrays the role without spunk, spite, humor and the much needed oomph factor is commendable. The sheer inconceivability showed by other members of the cast makes them mere caricatures rather than solid characters.

What do you expect from the sequel (they call it that way) of a film that has some “moments of glory” steamy scenes in the history of Bollywood?? Maybe a better offering or something that’s on par with its forerunner. But Jism 2 got neither. One striking commonality is that the writer deliberately tried to plug in the word “Jism” wherever possible to build the sensual aura. Another big let-down, unlike other Bhatt films, is the music. Not a single song stays in your mind and the background score dilutes the scenes rather than creating an impact.

The humongous amount of money pumped into publicity and the controversies of blood-testing and photo shoot with Natalie Kaur created the much needed hype and hoopla surrounding the film, but they can’t rescue it from biting the dust. It’s difficult to stem the high tide that’s an aftermath of poor writing and worst execution.

Bottom-line: A porn film that can’t get a theatrical release and therefore does not indulge in pretence of sugar-coating sex with the guise of storytelling, is a greater achievement than a hotchpotch like Jism 2. Please don’t forget to drink a huge mug of coffee before watching this film as you need something to KEEP YOU UP through its excruciating length!!

My Rating: Expectation - 6/10; Reality - 3/10

Movie Review - Oo Kodathaara Ulikki Padathaara (Telugu) – Creative yet clichéd Socio-fantasy!!

Imagine a baby born out of the marriage of Chandramukhi and Arundhati. You feel it’s got them all and can thrive. Alas!! The tables turn and what they deliver is a baby with congenital deformities. Now that it finds some place on earth, everyone tries to nurture it. The nature also does its part and thus evolves an amateur kid, err, plot. The kid grows into an adult, but his deformities always pull him back. That’s what happens when you are loaded with creative ideas but can’t showcase them to perfection on screen. Like many other films, Oo Kodathaara Ulikki Padathaara also falls prey to such an act of naivety. 

The movie starts with a premise borrowed from RGV / Quentin Tarantino / Sergio Leone films. Here our hero Manchu Manoj plays the role of a “Man with no name.” If that rings a bell and if you are taken to the 60s Spaghetti Western classics of Clint Eastwood, please switch off the time machine mode and come back to present. Though the premise shows a lot of promise, for that matter it can be called a promising premise, the story meanders through some uneven terrain and culminates at abyssal depths. 

OKUP gives some formulaic lessons in film-making: It does not matter how modern you are in your thoughts and outlook – a socio-fantasy should consist of antiquated paraphernalia; designer wear for men and women; swords and horses; and above all, an obligatory MAHAL!! If the director is not content with them, he will put some blood to give it a fantasy touch. 

If you remember, Nagarjuna in Manmadhudu gives a perfect recipe to make Onion Dosa. I wish the makers have made OKUP by taking some cues from that recipe, but now the final product is an oily dosa with lot of onions supplemented with bland chutney. Some creative touches, like the hero’s flashback song that generates laughter despite its gory story-telling, can be applauded but that alone can’t ward off the dark clouds mongering over the movie’s success.

There are some good shades in the film: impressive visuals; a bit of comedy; great camera work; trendy and foot-tapping music; decent performances; and loads of creative elements. But it would have been a memorable watch without certain elements: forcefully induced doses of melodrama at places; graphic violence; heavy downpour of different characters with miniscule roles; chewing gummish finale between good vs. evil.

Nandamuri Balakrishna looks elegant in his role and plays it with aplomb. It’s high time; he should cherry-pick roles that suit him rather than donning a lover boy’s role or pull some gravity-defying stunts. Hope others follow him soon. Manchu Manoj pumps loads of exuberance into the film with his witticism, and his character’s multiple hues shine all through the movie. He’s aggressive in the first half and turns submissive later doing everything to tickle your funny bone. Deeksha Seth, with her lackluster presence, consolidates her dumb-witted damsel’s spot in Tollywood. Finally Manchu Lakshmi speaks proper Telugu. May be she’s attending accent neutralization classes that helped her sail through troubled waters. 

Bottom-line: Oo Kodathaara Ulikki Padathaara is an ambitious project from Manchu entertainment but it may turn into a damp squib owing to heavy downpour of unwanted and painfully dragged elements. Watch it for its creative shades and some stupendous moments of film-making, but be ready to pay the price for a predictable plot and a thin story-line that may bore you to death.

My Rating: Expectation - 7/10; Reality - 4/10

Movie Review - Cocktail (Hindi) - Bad mix that makes you puke!!

Imtiaz Ali and Homi Adajania team up to give a (im)perfect Cocktail recipe

Ingredients: 

1) 1 male character - Women charmer loaded with witty one-liners and senseless humor.

2) 1 female character – Bland yet angelic desi fish in foreign waters: sensitive and subdued.

3) 1 outlandish female character – Party animal who resorts to a casual fling: bold and bratty.

4) 1 supporting male character – Terrific with his comic timing and shines all the time.

5) 1 supporting female character – Indian mother longing for a desi/gharelu bahu.

6) 1 supporting male character – Misfit in the script and does no good for the film.

7) 1 tablespoon – Friendship between two women, each one an extreme opposite of the other.

8) 2 teaspoons – Clichéd concept of a triangle love story with shades of doomed romance.

9) 2 tablespoons – Crackling humor that stops in the second half.

10) 1 Neon gloss coated template for a picture perfect look.

11) Amazing costumes, locations and production design.

12) Loads of artificial color (for the visuals).

The mix looks (un)impressive, but too much of it gives you a headache, so be warned.

The movie starts with some fine elements and none of the characters: Gautam (Saif), Veronica (Deepika) and Meera (Diana) appear cinematic and cardboardish. But as the film progresses, everything loses its sheen and turns stereotypic. Thus it tests your patience and reaffirms all the formulaic love stories of Bollywood.

There are some warm moments which can't be negated. The friendship between the two women gives a fresh appeal and breathes some life into the film. Dimple Kapadia’s effortless portrayal of an overbearing mother tickles the funny bone and is the saving grace of the film. Besides her, there are no real surprises or efforts from other members of the cast to keep the ball rolling.

In one of the scenes, the brash gal tries to turn homely with her culinary skills. She learns to cook mutton biryani and the thing with yogurt (she struggles to remember 'Raita') to impress her guy's mother, but the guy innocently asks her "Tumhe… Kiss cheez ke liye accept karenge?!" If there's a grin on your face, wipe that out because it won't stay long while watching this film. 

Bottom-line: Saif Ali Khan is always in the match-mismatch mode with the two women. He’s perplexed and in a perennial dilemma like most of Imtiaz Ali's heroes, and playing 32 year old young software engineer (if that can be called an oxymoron!!) who makes a pass at his high-profile client does not win him brownie points. Deepika Padukone is sparkling in the beginning, but bores you to death during her metamorphosis. Diana Penty looks pretty with conventional good looks but she lacks the oomph as an actress. From the maker of magical/musical love stories such as Jab We Met, Love Aajkal and Rockstar, here comes a lackluster script that leaves a chink in his armor.

My Rating: Expectation – 6/10; Reality – 3/10

Movie Review – David Billa (Telugu) – The dawn of stylish prequel making!!

The advent of David Billa marks the dawn of prequel making in Tamil/Telugu cinema. This is an age old phenomenon in Hollywood: Star Wars, X – Men and many more that went unnoticed amidst chaos. We have seen the previous version in 2007 and now its prequel is making waves. The director’s effort to give the viewers a refreshing ensemble got dampened with some haphazard and off-course journey in film-making. Ajith oozes style as David Billa and he nurtures the role to perfection. The way he carries his character with great poise and maturity should be a tight slap for all the aged heroes of Tollywood who still run after heroines donning lover boy, err, man roles!!

The movie opens with a strong Hollywoodish premise that sets the pace for the film. I can’t resist repeating the opening lines of Billa, "Naa jeevitham lo okko roju, okko nimisham, reeeeeeeyyyyyy, okko kshanam… Naaku nenu gaa maluchu kunnadi raa" followed by a typical “bang the goons” scene and the movie traverses into the opening credits where Billa’s childhood is depicting in the form of a pictorial. All praises to director Chakri Toleti, and his team, for their valiant effort to unleash some, hitherto unseen, creative gems.

Ajith’s David Billa is rich in character but poor in characterization. There are many loose ends that perplex the viewer and thwart his imagination. At the outset, the director made the character aimless and enigmatic; Billa always finds himself in onerous situations and at the verge of death, but emerges out effortlessly and his agility and spontaneity make things turn in his favor. In the opening scene Billa said that he carved every moment of his life, but I could not understand how chance happenings can be called premeditated ones.

If you remember, during our school days, we had this story of three fishes: Sumathi, Kaalamathi and Mandamathi. Billa is like Kalamathi, but we expect him to be Sumathi. Out-and-out display of brawn is shown and his brains always go for a toss. Director Sir, we adore our heroes, so please elevate them above fights, style and punch lines. Try to make them part of intelligentsia and show them chalking out some best laid plans for better execution of assignments like Farhan Akthar did in his Don franchisee.

Coming to the nerve centre of David Billa, the music, Yuvan Shankar Raja spreads the Godfatherish Hollywood aura with his background score. With this movie he joins the league of other international composers such as A R Rahman, Hans Zimmer and Howard Shore. The way he dabbles with serious and soulful music is worth mentioning. There will be a day we bid him adieu to start work on his Hollywood ventures. Though most of the scenes lack impact, the complimenting music makes a thumping impression on our minds. The signature tune of David Billa lingers in your mind even after the movie gets over. That's the magic of YUVAN.

Some questions that intrigue your mind:

1) When Vishnuvardhan, director of Billa (Tamil), made such a great piece of work, why the makers gave the baton to Chakri Toleti for its prequel? May be Vishnuvardhan is hibernating after the demise of Pawan Kalyan’s Panjaa.

2) How can they call it the prequel to “Billa”? Just by the tag line – "Every man has a past and every don has a HISTORY."

3) How can Billa always take hasty decisions without thinking and meticulous planning? Is it his "Never Say Die Attitude?"

4) When four screenwriters (one being a Hollywood one) work on a script, the outcome should be stupendous and not dismal. As fledgling screenwriters, our group has unearthed umpteen flaws in the script.

5) How can a person who made Eenadu (*ing Kamal Hasan and Venkatesh), and graduated from a reputed film-making school in USA, give emphasis only to style and throw the substance in drain?

Bottom-line: Watch David Billa for its aesthetic value, uber cool and stylish portrayal of Ajith. You love him for his style, looks, chutzpah and charisma. The movie shines and outsmarts other Telugu flicks in terms of acting, style, camera, exceptional use of CGI, and MUSIC. There are many creative touches in visual effects – the post interval graphics song with lots of brown color earns brownie points for the makers. But the director ran out of glue to stick different pieces of collage and failed to transform it into a seamless mosaic. If you have an ear for detail, you will enjoy the background music a lot and it leaves you wanting more. The film’s a novel effort to bring in the prequel-making culture in Kolly/Tollyland but nowhere in comparison to Hollywood flicks in terms of script, characterization and attention to detail.

P.S. Director Chakri Tholeti is the same guy who, as a child, played the role of comic photographer in K Viswanath's Sagara Sangamam.

My Rating: Expectation – 7/10; Reality – 5/10