Kaatru Veliyidai: An alternate view point

First of all, I would like to state that there is an absolutely different view of this movie in this very site. Do check that out in order to understand the contrast between the two pieces of work.

Kaatru Veliyidai is a film that is based on its protagonist, Varun. When one views this film the character seems very unrealistic and inconsistent. However, this is on the surface level. As I began to watch this film over and over again, despite the fact that I hated it the very first time I watched it, I began to understand the depth in VC‘s character. There is a lot of thought that has gone into the creation of Varun. Mani Ratnam has created a character that has not been created ever in Tamil Cinema. In order to write this character one needs a lot of knowledge and guts. Varun‘s character is very experimental due to the fact that one does not see such characters in daily life.

Varun  is a sociopath. Now, the word sociopath can mean different things thus, let me define it so that we can have more clarity.

sociopath

/ˈsəʊʃɪə(ʊ)paθ,ˈsəʊsɪə(ʊ)paθ/

noun

                 a person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behaviour.

This is a very vague definition of the word sociopath. Nevertheless, it has offered us a modicum more of clarity. In Kaatru Veliyidai Mani Ratnam has created a character that does not have empathy or compassion. We can see this in multiple scenes present in the film. For example, Varun promises Leela that he will be there at the register office in order to register their name for their marriage, which will be one month from the day of name registration. Leela awaits Varun with her friends Ilyas and Nidhi but, VC does not turn up. When she meets him later at a bar he smiles and welcomes her. Through this we can infer and see that he does not understand that it is wrong of him to state that he will turn up for something crucial such as a marriage and not bother to come. These small instances are sprinkled all over Kaatru Veliyidai. Before Leela comes to meet him he is explaining what the purpose of a soldier at the Kargil war is. Here, he states that one must not bother about whether the man he kills is a good man or a bad man and that his job is to kill and kill only.

Another instance of such apathy is when Varun‘s brother’s wife is pregnant and suffering in pain and three men from the family are laughing. The father(we will talk about this in the upcoming paragraphs), Varun and his mentally ill younger brother(the brother is menatally ill and does not understand the right and wrong things to do in social situations). These men do not show any compassion towards the woman who is suffering.

The reason for Varun being an aggressive, independent sociopath is that he does not have a good relationship with any of his family members especially his father. This has caused Varun to thrive on one person, himself. Here is a man who is so narcissistic that his reasoning behind why people should listen to him is wrong. He fails to tell people the reason why they must do something and simply states that they must do it because he says so.

In this film, Varun displays power(Will be justified in the coming paragraphs). Humans like power as the article Love and Power states: As water is to fish, power is to people: It is the medium we swim in. And it is typically just as invisible to us. Thus, this is the only reason why Leela is attracted to out protagonist in the film. Leela being a doctor has seen many, many people and can clearly see that Varun‘s fundamental character is flawed. Like Jack Nicholson states in Martin Scorsese‘s The Departed Varun does not want to be a product of the environment, Varun wants the environment to be a product of him. And in order to achieve the state where the environment is the product of him he needs power and power is attained due to the following.

In Robert Greene‘s 48 laws of power he states 48 laws that must be obeyed or if obeyed will result in power. Please refer to the link in order to understand the rest of the text. As the first law states(Never outshine your master) Varun never disobeys or insults his superiors or higher officials in the airforce. We may see this in the scene where Varun meets his officer just after he leaves the hospital. When he talks to his officer, Varun, is very humble, polite and gently humorous. And therefore, never once outshining his master.

Varun obeys the second law(Never put too much trust in friends) too. We do not see Varun with his friends ever in the film. He talks to his fellow soldiers like an authority or a leader but, never as a friend. Even Ilyas is closer to Leela than he is too VC. This satisfies the second law of power.

The third law states: Conceal your intentions. This is one of the most obviously noticeable traits of VC that goes in agreement with these laws. One can see this when he never tells Leela the real reason behind why he is asking her to leave the mountains. Just Varun always says ‘because I said so‘ he does so this time too. This hence, does not reveal any of his intentions.

Law 16(Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor) is also satisfied. He does not turn up for the marriage. Varun leaves the hospital without informing anyone. He disappears to the Leh Airbase for three months. VC uses these little absences to increase her need for him and also his honor and respect.

Law 17(Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability) is fulfilled. His character has regular emotional outbursts and break downs which makes his character very inconsistent and thus, very unpredictable.

Varun’s character displays many more characteristics and traits that agree with the laws of power but, due to the lack of time I have stated only the very obviously noticeable ones.

These characteristics help the cultivation of power and authority. Power and authority are very helpful in places such as the battle field and war zones. Here one needs to survive and in order to survive he needs to possess power. And due to this mere fact Varun is very good at what he does. He is a soldier therefore, being authoritative, aggressive and powerful helps him fight on field. However, these men, this includes Varun, suffer in their relationships off the battle field. They have outbursts and break downs. They do not understand empathy and compassion. They are cold people who are born to kill not to make family. They are survivors. Varun does not care one bit to go against his father in order to protect his mother. He is a killer and protector. Due to the fact that they are very good at survival they make good sex partners(this does not mean husband. It just means a person that the opposite sex would like to have sex with.) but, due to their very unstable emotional state they cannot stick around to care for their offsprings and partner. This is how human being evolved. Two males are present in the process of raising children. The lover and the provider. The lovers are present only during sex and the provider takes over and stays in a relationship and brings up the offspring born.

As stated before, Varun is a survivor and hence, a good sex partner. Thus, Leela is mystically just drawn towards Varun like a moth towards a fire even though it knows it will die if it goes too close. On the whole, the stare, the authority, the outbursts and the emotional break downs that are an integral part of Varun‘s personality are unrealistic because of the mere fact that he is not normal. He is a sociopath who does not understand empathy. And because he does not understand empathy certain traits that fertilize the cultivation of power are born. Power attracts women. Kaatru Veliyidai is a tale of this relationship.

Kaatru Veliyidai

In Tamil cinema, a severe step by step process is the key to romantic success. The hero of romantic films follows this process. This format defies all the social and evolutionary laws discovered by various scientists over the course of time. Most romantic films start off with the hero not having a job(or a life). We are also showed that this hero is needy and incapable of being assertive and taking control of his life if he has one, that is. This is portrayed through the various scenes present in the first quarter of the film. He has a best friend who is the proof for “There is somebody needier than me”. Then one day our needy hero is blown away by the beauty of the heroine whom he, in most films, sees at the bus stand or at some crowded signal. The wind god is very gracious and kind to our needy little friend. He blows the wind in two directions, on the face of the heroine and on the hero’s face(even though they are standing at opposite directions).  As the relationship moves forward the hero executes his plan to get friend zoned(the funny part is he thinks he does not have a plan and that love and attraction works only when you go with the flow but, what he does not know is that he has the best plan. The plan that never fails at making new friends). The hero begs. He sings amazingly written songs. He buys her romantic gifts that cost more than the budget of the film(he still does not have a job at this point in the film). He goes behind her very ambitiously thinking she will fall for his ‘charm’. Nothing works. These films are pretty realistic taking into account the fact that the girl does not fall for him. All is well until this point where a song plays(colours and slow motion in the songs are more than needed) and everything changes. Everything is falling towards the Earth just like Newton said it would and one day someone plays a song and everything suddenly starts flying up.

One director who did not defy these laws and etched characters that were irresistible to women is Mani Ratnam. He has proven himself by writing heart-throbs. Heart-throbbing characters in films such as Ayidha Ezhuthu, Mouna Raagam, Agni Natchathiram. These characters are unpredictable, fun and they know what they need to do with their lives. They have purpose and drive. This excites the girls. Mani Ratnam makes the woman follow the man(sorry feminists). This is contradictory to the format of Tamil romance movies and thus, a more realistic happy-ending film is obtained.

Mani Ratnam makes complete films, that is, the screenplay, cinematography, dialogues and the story put together tells a tale and never fails to satisfy you. There are movies where the screenplay is king. There are movies where the story is king. Most directors make films from one aspect of filmaking, that is, the screenplay, story, dialogues, etc. They put in all their effort and sweat into making one thing entertain and tell the tale. Mani Ratnam is unlike these filmmakers. He does not make films that have two or three individual components that satisfy you. He make the film tell you the story and not just one individual aspect. This was true until he made Kaatru Veliyidai.

Mani Ratnam has attempted to write a movie and story that is built upon his protagonist but he forgot that in order to do that not only do he need a movie but he also needed a story. I tried hard to find the story and point of this film but, simply failed miserably every time I tried. The man in the lead is Karthi whose name is Varun in the movie. Varun is self-centered. This according to every character in the film is the problem with Varun. Every time Varun smiles one character jumps out to say “nee unnoda santhoshatha pathi mattum dhaan yosikura…”. You can make a point and then move on with the film but, Mani Ratnam twists this, he made a film and them moved on with the point. What is the problem with a self-centered guy? If he was truly self-centered and did nothing for anyone else but himself he would not have any friends or family.

This film has one thing that it completely depended upon, the protagonist, Varun. Mani Ratnam after writing wonderful characters such as Manohar from Mouna Ragam and Michael from Ayidha Ezhuthu has run out of substance to base his new character Varun on. All Mani Ratnam knew when he wrote his Kaatru Valiyidai was that he needs an ‘attractive guy’ to base his film on and thankfully, just like me he was smart enough to know that the usual the Tamil hero is not the typical attractive male that females find tempting so he decided to steal from Hollywood instead.

The whole theme of aircraft, the uniform, the concept of doctor(who is superior to Varun given Varun’s position in the airforce just like Charlotte is Maverick’s teacher in Top gun) and the air force pilot love story, the character and Varun’s best friend dying was ‘inspired’ from Top Gun. Inspired to such an extent that he has stolen the whole thing! Everything!

The conflict that this film puts forth is interesting. Kaatru Veliyidai tells the story of how women will fall in love with a guy, however, self-absorbed, selfish and egoistic he is. In fact, this gives them a flurry of emotions both negative and positive. There have been rockstars who will beat up their gorgeous female sex partners to the pulp and yet, she would not go away. Interesting. Mani Ratnam has ventured into the complex land of mating. Men who are driven by purpose and how nothing fazes them out(including women) are among the key factors in Ratnam’s romantic male characters. They are ships and the women are like waves. Waves never topple the ship and the ship keeps moving forward. This concept is portrayed beautifully in many movies such as Streetcar Named Desire, Top Gun, Mouna Ragam, Agni Natchathiram, Kaaka Kaaka, The Wild one and Gone with the Wind. This film with amazing potential(due to this intriguing emotional conflict in the world of romance) does not fail to disappoint. In order to make this conflict succeed Mani Ratnam needs an effective, attractive and powerful protagonist and thus he has merrily taken various aspects of the characters of the movies mentioned above and has come up with Varun.

When I was young my mum used to tell me that I must finish one task fully before I go to the next. I am almost certain Mani Ratnam was not told that he had to finish one thing before he moved on to the next.  This painful childhood negligence has resulted in Varun’s character. Very evidently this is what happened. Mani Ratnam was stealing from Top Gun. He found it boring after a point and started stealing from Stanley’s character from Streetcar Named Desire. We can see this when Varun makes up for his fight with his girl just as Stanley does in Streetcar Named Desire. The problem here is that this does not fit the character that Varun has established before the making up scene occurs. When he got bored with that he moved on to The Wild One. Suddenly they start digging up the wall which is again inspired from The Shawshank Redemption. He has not even stolen properly. The reason is as follows.

When you want to make an adventurous character you do not steal from both James Bond and Indiana Jones for the mere reason that both of them are very adventurous. These two characters have plenty of differences and yet both of them are adventurous. While looking for inspiration for Kaatru Veliyidai, instead of googling ‘Adventurous movie characters’ Mani Ratnam googled ‘Attractive male movie characters’. Mani Ratnam has made a character out of many attractive characters that have shaken cinema over the years. This does not work for the simple reason that Varun’s character(on whose character the whole film depends on) is inconsistent.  You cannot afford to make a character this inconsistent and not coherent at all when the film depends on the character.

The movie is held up by two more key factors. Music and Cinematography. The music in this film is very unique and blends in very well with the scenes and does not awkwardly stand out. A. R Rahman has composed Tango, Folk and other unique genres. I am not very sound in the area of music and hence, I am going to stop right there.

The cinematography has elevated the movie and has shown us shots from different perspectives. For example, when we see the aeroplanes flying and there is sexual tension inside the vehicle we do not see the scenery and the beauty of the landscape on the outside instead we see what we need to see, the relationship between Varun and Leela. This, in my opinion, is amazing. This does not mean that the cinematographer has failed to capture the beauty of the snow and mountains. He has excelled in the task given to him and we see breathtaking visuals composed of not only the already awe-inspiring mountains but of normal things. One example where just the music and cinematography have elevated this film is during the escape towards the end of the film. The chase has dust and sand flying around with an old truck that looks like it will break down any second flying at huge speeds amidst the man-made mud storm. This is captured brilliantly and the background score compliments this scene.

Overall, Kaatru Veliyidai has a very interesting concept and conflict. It has shown different aspects and problems in the relationship between the driven man and a woman. The conflict between us and the movie arises when Varun’s character tries to cover all the aspects of the man’s side of the relationship which is not possible because everybody and every character is not the same. There is obviously more than one attractive man and these men may be and will be very different. One cannot insert all the traits of all attractive men into one character. If done so the character shall be very inconsistent and incoherent. This is an absolute character based film with not much of a story(which does not matter as long as the character is strong and consistent enough) but a beautiful conflict. The music and the cinematography are brilliant and the sum of the music and cinematography is greater than the whole. One must watch this movie to understand the conflict but as a film, Kaatru Veliyidai disappoints me.

2.5/5

Kabali: Ranjith not Rajini

Homage. Tribute. Homage and tribute are important and pertinent words in the world of cinema. There are films that pay homage to other films and directors who pay homage to others and so on. But, films that one pays homage to tend to be very exquisitely relatable films. Films that let us identify with the saviour of the story. Films that give us the rush when the hero does something .This seems to apply to people as well. People who have dedicated their lives to cinema. The fervor for certain people has never died down. Rajinikanth belongs that category of people.
Kabali is not a Rajinikanth film. There are beautiful moments in this film. Pa. Ranjith has incorporated a lot of complex emotion and action juxtapositions such as sorrow-satisfaction and a raw, violent and stylish gun fight. These two were put together in the most adorable fashion. The emotions in this movie are very different from a usual Rajni movie. This movie requires one to be a hardcore cinema fan and a diehard Rajnikanth fan. One shall see thalaivar in a new avatar not only on the physical level but on a cinematic and an emotional level. Thalaivar has proved that he is really flexible and Pa. Ranjith has made full use of that. The new Thalaivar-avatar is fun, emotional and stylish. This is Rajinikanth at his fullest.
Now, when I say emotions what do I mean? I mean that Thalaivar has portrayed himself like never before. The usual would be Rajinikanth feeling sad and soon striking back. But, in Kabali Pa. Ranjith does not let that happen. He makes sure the sadness sits with Rajinikanth as well as the audience. Thalaivar has really made it work with his performance. There are nuances where Thalaivar is cute due to the fact that the emotion was slightly more intense and made to sit with him longer than usual. Sadness is one of the most simple emotions expressed in this movie. There a lot more that are a combination of guilt, satisfaction, anger, regret, joy, longing and disbelief. The superstar has not failed in exhibiting these in the best fashion. There are these dream sequences in the film that are written directed in a new manner. The dreams were shot in an unbelievable fashion. The camera plays a major role in this.
Kabali is not a Rajinikanth film. Style has always been an important factor in Rajni movies. The thing with Kabali is that the film redefines Rajni-style. Homage and tribute has been paid to the superstar. A real Thalaivar fan can see that this movie really contains Rajinikanth’s best moments throughout his life in the industry. We see instances that show Billa, Mullum Malarum and Johnny. This makes the crowd go wild(I had the privilege of watching Kabali with an amazing audience). The new defintion of style that Kabali has come up with for Thalaivar seems to be hard to digest for some people. But, this is the new superstar and this is the best superstar. Pa. Ranjith has paid homage not only to Rajinikanth but a number of directors. One can see Tarantino during the last few scenes. The fight towards the end of the movie is superlative. Shotguns. Blood. Violence. Music. There are really cute instances which add to the style of filmmaking and Rajinikanth has made it work for Pa. Ranjith. The camera has played a major role in lifting the film higher. The cinematographer has beautifully handle the camera showing the Superstar in a new manner yet in a phenomenonally stylish manner.
There are no songs in Kabali except one. This tells us how musically excelling Kabali seems to be. One cannot see the transition from film to song. The background score merges into the song. The film and music work together in order to deliver the best outcome. Santosh Narayanan has done an amazing job with music. One tends to think that the background music is more of a visceral experience rather than a conscious listening experience. The song ‘Neruppu da’ has been put to the best use. That song has proven to be of awesome aesthetic value.
In Kabali, just like in most Rajinikanth movie, the characters are very simple. They have simple stories and pleasant realities(not particularly pleasant for that character but, for us yes). The tend to exhibit very complex and mildly intense emotions but, that adds to the style and flavor of Kabali. This film’s character are very realistic from the language they speak to their actions. Kabali’s character is a very simple one. He has a very sad past that is later evened out very satisfactorily, towards the end. The protagonist, Kabali, does not talk he does. He literally only does. This is the new Rajinikanth.
To conclude, Kabali marks the new era for Thalaivar. He has started of on a new path that this film has defined for him. Kabali is the work that has been put together by amazing people who know the their craft well. Thalaivar is no longer the usual he is now something more. The fact that he is something else seems to be hard for some to digest. Overall, Kabali is a satisfying and newly stylish Thalaivar-padam. Once again, this is the new Rajinikanth too bad if you do not like him.

Jil Jung Juk

There are objects and monuments in this wild, wide world that were made by us. These objects make us the special species of this world. Homo Sapiens. Humans have been this wonderful species because of the things they have created. Humans have made a variety of objects ranging from the Taj Mahal to books. These things that make our species a unique species seem to be the result of innovation and creativity. These two aspects of Human life, I think, are the key to who we are as a race, as a species on this big planet. Innovative ideas and creative entities have not always been a hit among the people of the time of that idea or entity. This failure often is due to the fact that, that society was not evolved to appreciate the entity. Many films from around the world have failed not due to bad film making but due to lack of understanding and good appreciation. Hey Ram, The Wizard of Oz and David to name a few were films that did not do well in the theaters but are the creations of masters of the field.

Jil Jung Juk is one such film. I would say that the appreciation that Jil Jung Juk received was the same amount that a person who had been eating Indian food all his life gave to a nice bowl of cold pasta salad. I would infer from his expressions that he found it too bland and garlicky. Indian food is spicy and has a unique combination of sourness and spice. This is quite evidently absent in the Italian or the french cuisines. The french and the Italians are undeniably part of the world’s best chefs group. Just like Indian food, Indian cinema, turns out to be quite spicy and full of flavor. The mass of Indian audience do not seem to be in favor of the cheese and garlic that is present in today’s cinema. Jil Jung Juk, I tend to think, is a foreign dish. One can deduce from the title of this film, the amount of creativity and innovation that has gone into the mere act of titling this film. There is a lot of detail that is not necessary in this film. It seems to me, that those excessive details make the film very unique and foreign. The film is set in the future which is not necessary but, this has not been portrayed in any Tamil movie, that I know of, before. Jil Jung Juk is a very light movie. It tends to remind me of the sky and clouds. The film even uses different colors that not many films possess. Jil Jung Juk has magenta, purple, brown, baby-pink and light blue shades to it. Which I felt was very different.

The characters in this film are beautifully written. The characters are not intense and complex. These characters are light, easy and simple. I could not help but think, that every detail in the character outline was written with a lot of care. This requires a fresh and modern mind. Jil, one of the characters, has his hair dyed light blue. I personally would not have thought of such a modern piece to fit in this puzzle. The three characters seem to have uniform importance in the film and the film maker has eliminated the idea of protagonist. There is no heroine which is due to the fact that the story does not require a woman lead. The last two ideas stated above are very new to Indian cinema especially Tamil cinema. All through the film, these well written characters had me thinking I was watching a film that was non-Indian. The film maker has paid homage to multiple directors from Hollywood. The long shots reminded me of Coen Brothers. Every time anyone raised a gun Tarantino hijacked my mind. Inspiration from these movie-maestros was lead to flow into Jil Jung Juk’s screenplay and story. Jil, narrating the story of his inherited gun to his fellow companions evoked in me the story of the pulp-fiction-watch.

The maker of Jil Jung Juk does not fail to pay tribute to the Tamil audience through his dialogues. I spotted references to whatsapp swamiji in the character pai and many dialogues to the unforgettable comedy sequences that Tamil cinema has offered us. This is something I think the movie over did. The reference-dialogues were the only factors to remind that I was watching a Tamil movie. The dialogues in the film are classy and the stories told by all the characters keep us smiling at their individuality and distinctiveness. The manner in which the dialogues seem to be delivered by the artists(of the leading three roles) seems to maintain the equality in importance of the role. Just like the excessive details there are a lot of excessive dialogues in the movie which do not have any particular function. Some of these excessive dialogues compliment the continental flavor of the film. The other dialogues, unlike the details, do not need to be there.

The music is a crucial part of every movie. In this film the music is quirky. The retro song placed in the movie seems modern and fresh. The background music is innovative and creative. For example, Jil runs away from the petrol bunk that is about to blast due to faulty activities of Jung and Juk. The composer lays there a kalyanam style piece. The background score during this scene is something that no man who knows music would want to place there. In that sense the music adds to the modernity of Jil Jung Juk. I am not sound in my knowledge of music and hence did not follow closely enough to spot the instruments used. The lyrics in the songs of Jil Jung Juk seems to make no sense. Which is very hard to write. Considering the fact that it has to cope with the tune and cannot make sense, I think the lyricists have done a fabulous job. On the whole, the music in Jil Jung Juk is very modern and something that cinema does not see very often.

Thus, Jil Jung  Juk is a very modern, innovative and creative film. This film is light and like the sky. It is a very light film with different colors and quirky music. The cinematography of the film makes Jil Jung Juk very stylish too. The film is on the whole not really a Tamil film. I would like to say that this film did not receive enough applause due to the mere fact that it was a little more modern than it should have been. I think everyone should watch this film and appreciate the innovation, modernity and creativity gone into making this unique film. Thank you for such a film, guys.

 

 

Iraivi

Emotions are a vital part of Human life. It gives you the ability to feel and connect with things and stimuli on a different level. We have emotions that are good, happiness, love and ambition and we have bad emotions, guilt, sorrow and rage. Nobody can state whether a life with just happiness would nail it. In my opinion it would not. I tend to believe that life is complete only with all emotions and feelings. That includes guilt, sorrow, rage and pain. These are all essential for life. There are films that will give you rushes of happiness and love. There films that will give you rushes of rage and hate. Films, I feel, are closely linked with emotions and feeling. On the whole, every film is a painting and the director is the artist. The emotions are the colors that are used to paint the painting.

Paintings like the Mona Lisa, Girl With the Pearl Earring and The Starry Night can be called coherent, comprehensible and understandable on the surface level and not necessarily on the deeper level. Paintings like the No.5, Black Square and Composition VII are not comprehensible. One such painting(film) is Iraivi. Iraivi is painted with a range of dark and morbid emotions. The emotions flow where they do and form a beautiful and incomprehensible masterpiece. The audience seem confused and puzzled about the story, character outline and the happenings in the movie. The words of Charlie Chaplin came to life once I heard negative opinions about this movie. “We think too much and feel too little” once said Charlie Chaplin. This painting, Iraivi, will come to life if the audience let the movie take them to this dark and dimly illuminated planet. Iraivi is not coherent and understandable on the surface. The film is to be felt. Iraivi is a watercolor masterpiece painted with dark emotion and complex figures.

The acting in this film is phenomenal. The acting is wonderful because the artists did not over do their role and hit it on the dot. The characters in this movie have more than two facets to themselves. Some of these facets of these characters are bad and some are good. The characters are very hard to interpret due to the fact that they possess multiple facets to them. The artists have done a mind blowing job considering the fact that the characters were enormously complex. A mix of the following emotions were used in the character outline. Impulse, hate, desire, guilt, betrayal, love, sex, attraction, rage, satisfaction, happiness and innocence were among the complex, dark and admirable emotions portrayed by the characters. The mix of these emotions that is felt by them audience cannot be put in words. The artists have done a beautiful job interpreting and acting according to the role’s needs. The artists nailed it.

This movie is titled Iraivi,  which means the goddess, because this is a film that shows people the happenings that make a woman who she is in Indian society. Iraivi has a powerful message to put forth. The mix of good and bad in all the characters, especially men, tends to freak the audience out. Some people referred to that level of only-feeling-no-story as bad and not good cinema. I tend to think that referring to it as bad cinema is due to the lack of comprehension understanding of that emotion. I would not blame them since the only-feeling-no-story is a negative, dark and morbid one. This film is not the usual film that should be watched only on the surface. This films requires feeling and empathy. One who really understand what he is feeling and one who will let go will make a lot off this film. The music in this film, especially the background score. It adds to the complexity and darkness. The music is very different and it is not the normal that is composed by Santhosh Narayanan. The lyrics in the song Dushta are awe-inspiring. They make a lot of sense and when they do make that sense it does not feel very good. That song is an envisionment of a person on drugs. The song features women the person has encountered and people he has done wrong to. The song makes one actually transport to the character’s(drugged) place and enables us to feel all facets of his character.

There are multiple layers in a film. Every film. In Iraivi the audience can see all the layers, one beneath the other, of the story and plot. The conflict comes when the characters do not understand the layering in the story. Everyone in the film believes another person to be someone else, someone he/she is not. This is due to the fact that a certain character views only certain facets of another, only facets the other wants to display. During the course of the story some facets get exposed and the difference in reaction between male and female is the basis of the film. Some scenes in Iraivi expose raw and beautiful moments. For example, Ponni and her daughter get off the train to get wet in the rain. In this scene only Ponni’s head is captured and none of her clothes are shown. When Ponni looks around in the rain at a paddy field she seems to one like a bold mother doe looking for food around the wet forest. The rage and violence that are portrayed in the film are sometimes in some instances very frightening. There are a lot of references to the real sorrows of life displayed through the characters and a galore of symbolic representation.

To end, Iraivi does not have a storyline that will make you sit at the edge of your seat and enjoy. Iraivi makes you feel. The feelings this film gives you are hard to understand and come to terms with. Even worse these feelings are disturbing. Taking into consideration, the fact that the emotions that are presented to you by this film are dark it, it requires people who really understand emotion and can appreciate the beauty of what they have felt. Iraivi is for a special audience and I tend to think that audience is very new to the cinema appreciating world. I would like to say that I do not think this film will be successful in the theaters but, to me personally it has gifted me a beautifully negative masterpiece made off emotion water colors. The reason behind calling Iraivi a watercolor masterpiece is that the colors(emotions) flow a lot and they flow in unique ways.

The Lion King

There are certain stories that literally build childhood. Tales like the fox and the crow and the fox in the vineyard are unforgettable. These are classics. These tales have beautifully interwoven plots and emotions. Just like these tales there are some special films that bring honour to cinema as a whole. They are classics that can be enjoyed and appreciated by anyone and everyone. The Lion King is one such film.

” They’re fireflies. Fireflies that, uh… got stuck up on that big bluish-black thing.”
– Timon

” Oh, gee. I always thought they were balls of gas burning billions of miles away.”
– Pumba

The Lion King revolves around the life of a yound cub who is thrown out of the pride due to horrifying circumstances. Betrayal, rage, aspirarion, guilt and love are among the huge gamut of emotions displayed in The Lion King. During the core of the film we see the young cub, Simba, grow with a Wild Hog and a Meerkat. This trio gambol around and enjoy life until Simba, realises his true self and is destined to avenge his father, Mufasa’s death. This is the basic outline of the movie. The film is set in the african Savanas and is filled with arcipluvian range of animals. The movie is very colorful. The Lion King is colorful both on the physical and the emotional level. One tends to ignore and disregard animated films such as this classic but, time and again, these films fill the audience with immense satisfaction and fulfilment. The colorful emotions and simple yet exciting plots that build The Lion King just lift the film higher.

The Lion King has wonderfully written characters that really penetrate through one’s heart and touch the soul. Simba’s father, Mufasa, enthralls and moves the audience with every word he utters. His voice(lent by James Earl Jones) plays a major and vital role in the whole character sketch of Mufasa. Mufasa truly seems to be the king of the world and has no one to prove to that he is The Lion King. When the Lion King, Mufasa, dies the audience is bound to feel pathetic and sad. Other characters such as Timon, Mumba, Rafiki and Zazu are a delight to have in the film. These characters make you smile and bring a different layer of meaning to The Lion King. Timon the Meerkat and Mumba the Warthog make one think a lot about their approach to life. ‘Hakunamatata’ it means no worries. Timon and Mumba make us wonder why we make our easy and simple lives tough, complex and sad.

“Scar! Brother, help me…”
– Mufasa

“Long live the king…”
– Scar

Other negative roles such as that of Scar, Ed the Hyena, Fighting Hyena and Banzai are awe-inspiring and glorifying to watch. The negative characters are shown in a colossal fashion. Every move of Scar’s disgusts the audience and there is no guilt or regret in him at the end or during the film . The betrayal and son-of-a-bitch attitude of Scar’s that tends to irritate the audience is the beauty of Scar’s characterization. Ed the Hyena, Banzai and Fighting Hyena support the role that Scar plays in the story of The Lion King. These character really get on the nerves of the audience which is a good thing since, that is exactly what that character was meant to do. On the whole the characters of Lion King compliment each other and let wade their way through the plot in an amazing fashion. The makers of this film have done a phenomenonal job with regard to the characters.

The Lion King has amazing music. There are a variety of songs that vary from melody to pop music. The music and the background score compliment the happenings of the film and do not dominate or suppress them scenes. This sublime music is composed by Mark Mancina, Elton John, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Lebo M. These composers have done an immensely fabulous job. The songs tingle the sense of music which is inborn in everyone.

To conclude, I would ask people who loved the tales told to them by mothers and grandmothers when they were children. Do not underestimate the potential of this film due to the fact that it is an animated film. This film will not fail you. It has all that you need to honour a film as a classic. The Lion King has anything you ask from comedy to sorrow. As mentioned above, the music is pleasing and moving.  Do not miss this classic.

Shutter Island

There are questions, when asked, really make you question the sheer exitence of life. Those questions make every cell, every hair and every inch of oneself really ponder over that question. Some people call these queries scary and others call it stupefying. As one knows, there are various ways in which one can communicate and express his queries and questions, especially this kind. Shutter Island asks you one such question. Shutter Island makes you question your existence. Powerful stuff.

“This is a game. All of this is for you. You’re not investigating anything. You’re a fucking rat in a maze.”
– Jackie Earle Haley (George Noyce, Shutter Island)

Shutter Island is movie that will change life for you. In fact, it will make you ponder over a question that is so powerful that it will make one doubt reality. Shutter Island is one of those movies that are not part of the horror movie category but, are worse than a horror movie. The film is dark and dingy. One may see a grey or black tone to everything in the Shutter Island. This in itself adds to the whole film’s eerie effect. Martin Scorsese is very successful in conveying his life changing question to his audience in a scary and paralyzing fashion. Teddy, the protagonist, is played by Leonardo Dicaprio who has done a fantastic job in delivering to the audience the complexity of the emotions that run in this character’s mind. These emotions include love, anger, doubt, guilt, wonder and fear. These emotions really creep the audience. Trust me, you will be at the edge of your seat at all times during the film.

Teddy Daniels and his partner Chuck Aule, played by Mark Ruffalo, come to Shutter Island to investigate the case of the stangely missing lunatic, Rachel. They go through a set of puzzling incidents that make them wonder about the activities happening on the island. They come to realise that the doctors in Shutter Island are making illegal and brutally violent use of the lunatics to conduct insane experiments. Slowly and slowly Martin Scorses unveals, through these complex characers and puzzling emotions, truths in the film that make us wonder about our own lives. The characters played in the film seem very emotionally intense and highly complex. This might be an illusion that the director is foxing us with but, I shall give him the benefit of the doubt and say that these characters are actually that intense and complex. Dr. John Cawley, Chuck Aule, George Noyce, Rachel and Dolores Chanal played by Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Clarkson and Michelle Williams, respectively have made the film gather more intensity and make the audience really feel more. They also help in making one identify himself with the protagonist, Teddy Daniels.

” If I was to sink my teeth into your eye right now, would you be able to stop me before I blinded you?”
– Ted Levine (Warden, Shutter Island)

“Give it a try.”
– Leonardo Dicaprio (Teddy Daniels, Shutter Island)

I tend to think that the plot in this film does not matter as long as the core message is conveyed which Martin Scorsese has done, phenomenonally. I had a hard time going to sleep once I watched Shutter Island. This movie is not a horror movie. It is a movie that will make one identify himself with the protagonist, put himself in the protagonist’s place and wonder whether life is real. I had such scary what-ifs popping into my brain that I just could not sleep. It is a fantastic movie but, if you would like to continue with your life like you always did, this movie is not for you. On the whole, it is an emotionally intense and complicated movie which will take more than just watching once to understand (For the usual, average human being).

I would recommend this movie to anyone who is really looking for meaning in life. The whole team has done a fabulous job in making such a film that shows you a possible facet of reality in a very raw and bloody fashion. The rawness of Shutter Island will make you nauseatic with fear and wonder. What a beautiful combination. I Thank you Martin Scorsese and your team for such an amazing movie. This movie will really work for the ones searching for intelectually challenging movies but, remember if you really get it… I think you will regret it.

Pulp Fiction

When someone says violence, one director comes to mind. His name is Quentin Tarantino. This director is my personal favorite. Tarantino is my favorite because he knows how to get that adrenaline combined with satisfaction and happiness, rush through you. Take any movie of his and you shall recieve this feeling of immense satisfaction that no director will ever give you. He shows you violence, foul language, competition, evil, wrath and other intense emotions and yet Tarantino will not fail to pay you back with that unique awesome rush you are bound to feel.

” Say ‘what’ again. Say ‘what’ again, I dare you, I double dare you motherfucker, say what one more Goddamn time!”
– Samuel L. Jackson(Jules, Pulp Fiction)
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Pulp Fiction is one of my all time favorites. This movie is a legend. Some people find the non-linear narration hard to follow. Pulp Fiction has an arcipluvian spectrum of emotions and even genres. This film has action, drama and much more it can offer. Pulp Fiction is not necessarily a very warm and soothing film. It is a movie that will keep you smiling and laughing with satisfaction, jumping on your seat admiring the killer dialogues and rolling on the floor without being able handle the rush that, this legend of a director, gifts you with. If you want to really have a blast watch this film. It has violence, drugs, betrayal, foul language and of course killer dialogues. DO NOT WATCH if you are a person who likes the easy going movies that fail to really move you. If you think movies are for entertainment and not to move a person and not to satisfy a person, I really pity you, do not watch.

Pulp Fiction has deadly characters. In the film there is no Protagonist and Antagonist as such but, there characters that will make a difference to the film. The film has characters that really lift the standards and the flow of the film. For example, the character Jules played by Samuel L. Jackson makes every dialogue he says sound awe-inspiring. The film is very unrealistic. Here’s why. Pulp fiction seems unrealistic because every character and every little detail in the film really adds to the magnificence. Every dialogue and every action that is done by anyone and everyone in the film is remarkable. On the whole, Taranrino has done such a fantastic job writing his characters that it comes off as unrealistic but, come on man it’s cinema!

“What is your name?”
– Angela Jones(Esmeralda, Pulp Fiction)
“Butch.”
– Bruce Willis(Butch, Pulp Fiction)
“What does it mean?”
– Angela Jones(Esmeralda, Pulp Fiction)
“I’m American, honey. Our names don’t mean shit.”
– Bruce Willis(Butch, Pulp Fiction)
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To end, this film is for people who want to be thoroughly entertained and enthralled. This film will not let its audience down. It does not really change one’s life or state such philosophies that will change your life but, Pulp Fiction does something that not many films do. It entertains. Like Charlie Chaplin said “We think too much and feel too little.” I think this film make one really feel and that feeling is definitely not an unpleasant or pathetic feeling. This classic is a must watch and I would recommend all Tarantino films to you if you loved Pulp Fiction.

Message to Quentin Tarantino:
Dear Quentin,
I do not know if you will stumble upon this letter but, if you do, then I just want you to know that I am a great fan of yours and I love your films. How the hell do you write dialogues like that? They really are amazing. You have this unique genre of dark comedy combined with drama. When Jules says “Say ‘what’ again. Say ‘what’ again, I dare you, I double dare you motherfucker, say what one more Goddamn time!” I was laughing my heads off! At the same time it’s not really a joke. So, I really think thats cool. Never ever let go of Samuel Jackson. I don’t think you would. Anyways, you have all ways been my favorite, partly due to the fact that both of us belong to the same zodiac sign, you will always be my favorite. If you DO stumble upon this message please, reply I would love to hear from you.
Thanks,
Your fan,
Vikram

 

Cool Hand Luke

We are really into this whole concept of having fun. Who isn’t? The way guys have fun tends to be tremendously different from they way girls have their fun.  As a guy I seem to have fun in a way that involves violence, teasing and insulting. It is fun, but it’s different. We are more concerned about dominance and violence, evolutionarily. This film here(Cool Hand Luke) potrays very realistically, the relationship that exists between a group of guys. This film just had me smiling with realisation from start to end. It was simply fabulous.

“Yeah, well, sometimes nothin’ can be a real cool hand.”
– Paul Newman(Luke, Cool Hand Luke)

 

Yeah, well, sometimes nothin’ can be a real cool hand. He said it. What does Cool Hand Luke have that is so damn cool? Nothing. That’s what’s cool. This film is just a fantastically realistic and slow journey that will not fail to satisfy you. The film reminded me of the sky. Blue, clear, calm and full of nothing. The movie has a blue shade to it throughout, except the last and the first parts. Cool Hand Luke focuses on a grand total of about five characters. In the film if you do not identify anyone of them as the protagonist or the antagonist then the film will really work for you is my humble opinion.

Now, how does one show people the violence, competition, dominance and fun involved in this frightening yet exciting world of being a man without showing you any of the previosuly stated? Baffled? You would not be if you watched this film. The director of this film(Stuart Rosenberg) has done an unexplainable job in potraying a group of men without showing the audience the violence and dominance in a raw manner. The violence and dominance, in fact, is a very subtle factor but, is definetely present in the entire film.  I would call Cool Hand Luke a very soft and easy going film.

 

Paul Newman, potrays a rebelious and happy-go-lucky character. Trust me, this character(Luke) will steal your heart and he will not give it back. However, the character in itself is better than Paul Newman’s performance. Relatively. Paul Newman’s amazing looks real helps in leaving this role unforgettable. The character really succeeds in satisfying the audience in every act of his. Luke posseses a lot of character and never gives up. He has so much character that I tend to think he is fundamentally flawed as a human being. That’s what’s really beautiful.

 “Why you got to go and say fifty eggs for? Why not thirty-five or thirty-nine?” – George Kennedy(Dragline, Cool Hand Luke)

  “I thought it was a nice round number.”
– Paul Newman(Luke, Cool Hand Luke)

 

The supporting characters Dragline, Society Red, Koko, Loud mouth Steve and Captain potrayed by George Kennedy, J.D Cannon, Lou Antonio, Robert Drivas and Strother Martin respectively have really complimented Luke’s character. I personally feel that they are the ones that really thrust Luke’s character to a whole new level. They lift the role up with their reactions to his behaviour and yet do not fail to display their own unique identity Road Jail 36 has given them.

To end, I would recommend this movie to people who really want to relax and smile at tiny epiphanies and realisation about men that will come your way as you watch this satisfying film. This character, Luke, will not fail you. He will steal it. He will not return it.

The Big Lebowski

“Walter, I love you, but sooner or later, you’re going to have to face the fact you’re a goddamn moron.”
– Jeff Bridges(The Dude, The Big Lebowski)

Every film has a story and theme in accordance to which the characters are written, interpreted and potrayed. Moreover, that is the law by which most films work. The story and the theme of the movie are the kings. They rule the way an audience views and feels about a movie. The story and theme, control the colors and flavors that flow into the audience’s mind while watching the movie. The Big Lebowski defies this law.

In this film the characters are the ones that control the colors and flavors thar flow into one’s feelings for the movie. I, personally, think that this defiance adds to the beauty for film fanatics like me. The protagonist, The Dude, is one of the coolest characters ever written in cinema. The Dude is passionate about bowling. He is the least groomed man alive and he is unemployed but, does he give a fuck? No! He is far too cool for that. The Dude just gives you this beautiful feeling of relaxation. This character makes us envy his useless yet awesome life.

This movie is just about the characters. I would ask a person who is watching this movie to just let go and let it take you where it does and just experience the roller coaster ride that The Dude and his friends take you on. This movie is usually set in dim light and has very low saturation. This adds to the relaxing feeling that the movie provides you with. The Big Lebowski is a movie that is to be felt and understood on an emotional level rather than on a logical level.

“Fuck it, Dude, let’s go bowling.”
– John Goodman(Walter Sobchak, The Big Lebowski)

To end with I would recommend this movie to people who want to get to know their inner and more relaxing self better. This is, according to me, is a master piece. Like I said, the characters are the masters of this film, they drive the film to the crazy places iit takes you to. On the whole, it is a slow but, an amazingly written flavorful film that makes you ask yourself ‘Why do I care about things so much?’ So, three words for you: GO WATCH IT.