Monday 16 January 2017

Bairavaa - Mudiala

First of all the wig, I could have seen him going bald rather than him sporting this atrociously bad wig. How the hell the whole team approved this? I can't take my mind of it and in each and every scene it keeps reminding me and I'm already hating the movie. None of the dresses suits this atrocious hairdo. Sorry Barathan and co you lost me right there.




Next, the opening song, this is the essence of every commercial movie which sets the tone of the whole movie which should make you dive right into the festival mood. SaNa has delivered an uninspiring tune with some lyrics relating to demonetization. Sorry, SaNa this isn't your forte after Kodi this was another missed opportunity. And, Anandhu's voice doesn't suit at all.

And, the first half goes on and on with an XXL sized flashback surprisingly which doesn't involve Vijay and another surprise it involves the heroine unlike any other mass hero commercial movie. And, the interval was the high point in an otherwise boring movie. And, SaNa and Arunraja rocks with the varlam varlam va theme, couldn't imagine this film without it.

After setting up the first half somewhat like Kaththi, Barathan executes the second half in very old style like how Perarasu would have done. IT raid, still we are using this, come on. This is why ARM is one of the best commercial movie directors we have today, who mixes the commercial elements with the social message well.

Vijay's dialogue modulation was irritating again, wonder why nobody asks him to change it, but hey they didn't even bother about the wig. And, Daniel Balaji was good, but wasted here who was not even needed, when the villain is gonna kill him easily why bother having a separate track for him. And, what was Thambi Ramaiah doing there who doesn't even have more than two or three dialogues. Same goes to Harish Uthaman, Mala akka, etc.

Overall, this wasn't a surprise going by the FL, teaser and trailers. For Barathan as a director, I feel ATM was better than this. When you can do movies like Thuppakki, Kaththi why bother doing Jilla and Bairavaa? And, please never ever come in this hairdo any other film again.

Rating - 1.5/5.0.

Thursday 5 January 2017

My Awards - 2016

Based on the movies I have seen last year: 2016.

Best Film Tamil - Aandavan Kattalai

Best Film Hindi - Dangal

Best Film Malayalam - Kammattipadam

Best Film Telugu - Pelli Choopulu

Best Director -  Manikandan (Aandavan Kattalai),
                          VettriMaran (Visaranai)



Best Actor Male - S. J. Suryah (Iraivi)
                              Guru Somasundaram (Joker)



Best Actor Female - Ritika Singh (Irudhu Suttru, Aandavan Kattalai)
                                  
Best Comedians -  Yogi Babu (Aandavan Kattalai)
                               Robo Shankar (Velainu Vanthutta Vellaikaran)

Best Villain - Vela Ramamoorthy (Sethupathi)
                       Surya (24)

Best Supporting Actor Male - Parthipan (Maaveeran Kittu)
                                                  
Best Supporting Actor Female -  Dhansika (Kabali)
                                                      Riythvika (Oru Naal Koothu)

Best Albums -    ARRahman's Achcham Yenbathu Madamaiyada
                        SaNa's Kabali

Best BGM -  Santhosh Narayanan (Kabali / IrudhuSuttru)
                      Ilaiyaraja (Kuttrame Thandanai / Tharai Thappatai)

Best Music Director - Santhosh Narayanan - (Kabali, Irudhi Suttru)

Best Dialogues -  Samuthirakani (Appa)

Best Male Playback Singer -  Arunraja Kamaraj (Neruppu Da, Kabali)
                                               
Best Female Playback Singer - Nandini Srikar (Kannamma, Rekka)

Best Lyricist - Thamarai (Rasali, AYM)

Best Screenplay - Vikram Kumar (24)

Best Adapted Screenplay - Vetrimaran (Visaranai)

Best Cinematographer - Tirru, Kiran Deohans (24)
                                         Sujith Sarang (Dhuruvangal 16)

Best Editor -  Prawin Pudi (24)
                       Sreejith Sarang (Dhuruvangal 16)

Best Stunt Director -  Uriyadi (Raw and real during that interval block)

Best Art Direction - 24

Best Choreography -  Daavuya (Remo)

Song of the Year :  Kannamma (Rekka

Best Song on Screen -  Hey Mama (Sethupathi) Never expected that song for the Villain.

Best Debut Actor Male - None

Best Debut Actor Female -  Nivetha Pethuraj (Oru Naal Koothu)

Best Debut Directors - Vijay Kumar - Uriyadi
                                      Nelson Venkatesan Oru Naal Koothu
                                      Karthick Naren - Dhuruvangal 16
                                      Prasath Murugesan Kidari

Best Debut Composer - Dharbuka Siva (Kidari)

Underrated Movie of the Year - Kidari, 24

Worst Movie of the Year - Thodari

Disappointed Movie of the Year - Kabali

Disappointed Music Album of the Year - Kashmora

Overrated Movies of the Year - Miruthan, Remo


Do Check My Awards 201520142013

Sunday 1 January 2017

Top Movies - 2016 ( Tamil / English / Hindi / Malayalam / Telugu )

This year less than 100 films in big screen, 98, but made it up by watching many in laptop. Totally 262 films nearly 22 days of last year spent watching movies. I am not sure whether I am proud of this.

My favorite movie in Tamil is Aandavan Kattalai. And, in Telugu it's Pelli Choopulu, a fantastic feel good movie. And, obviously Dangal in Hindi, whatte terrific performances from everyone and also an engaging script. And, Kammattipadam in Malayalam, this slow and terrific movie starring Dulquer.

A lot movies involving kids Guppy, Ann Maria Kalippulannu, KPAC, School Bus in Malayalam this year and in Tamil I have seen only one, Appa.

And, a special mention to the one and only Marathi film I have ever seen, Sairat, brilliant music and realistic actors with an emotionally shocking climax. And, U-Turn in Kannada, well made thriller from the director after Lucia. The other critically acclaimed Thithi didn't impress me much.

And, also don't miss this sci-fi, time travel, suspense thriller short-film in YouTube, Known Number. :) :) :) :)

Best Movies: I liked the most

  1. Aandavan Kattalai : Once again Manikandan proves he's an excellent filmaker with this terrific movie which really says a good message in a funny way and without being preachy. Yogi Babu was terrific.
  2. Visaranai: This brutal movie based on a true story was a spine chilling experience. Dinesh literally gave his blood and sweat, Vetri's brilliantly adapted a novel which seamlessly transforms into a thriller in the second half. 
  3. Irudhi Suttru: A fantastic debut for Ritika and an excellent comeback for Madhavan in this sports drama which follows the familiar formula of underdog rising big like any other sports drama, but with a fantastic screenplay.
  4. 24: So happy to see a big star like Surya to try something new apart from his Hari films. A fantastic time travel thriller with an excellent screenplay.
  5. Joker: Rajumurugan's second movie where he doesn't hold back and questions everyone in the society including us, which also has a nice love story.
  6. Oru Naal Koothu: A small film which worked big time, all the characters were easily relatable and with some excellent music as well. 'Kozhamba intha pakkam thallunga
  7. Dhuruvangal 16: What an excellent debut from Karthick Naren in this gripping investigative thriller which maintains the suspense till the end and would have liked to watch this without an interval. And, technically brilliant too.
  8. Sethupathi: A terrific "mass" entertainer which is just another cop story, but with a different treatment. An excellent villain helped the movie big time.
  9. Thozha: So much fun right from the start till the end, which makes you look life positively. A movie without too much melodrama.
  10. Iraivi: Another excellent movie from Karthik Subburaj, some woMEN's story, so basically it's how each man affect the woman is the story which had some excellent performances from S. J. Surya and Vijay Sethupathi as usual.
  11. Kuttrame Thandanai: Manikandan's second film in the list. Vidharth was excellent as a guy with a tunnel vision, which was brilliantly used which ends with a good twist.
  12. Kodi: After a forgettable Thodari, Dhanush bounces back with this political thriller which has  a strong female antagonist, which was rare in Tamil cinema, but sadly we don't have much options to play the role.

Not Bad:

  1. Uriyadi
  2. Kidari
  3. Kabali 
  4. Maaveeran Kittu
  5. Chennai 28 II
  6. Rajini Murugan
  7. Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum
  8. Metro
  9. Dharmadurai
  10. Pitchaikaran
  11. Manithan
  12. Appa
  13. Theri
  14. Remo
  15. IruMugan
  16. Velainu Vanthutta Vellaikaran
  17. AYM 
  18. Aviyal
  19. Vetrivel
  20. Kavalai Vendam
  21. Saithan
  22. Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam
  23. Miruthan
  24. Kashmora
  25. Rekka
  26. Vil Ambu
  27. Zero
  28. Kanithan
  29. Raja Mandhiri
  30. Devi
  31. Kathakali
  32. Enakku Innoru Per Irukku
  33. Pugazh
  34. Gethu
  35. KO2
  36. Dhillukku Dhuttu 
  37. Tamilselvanum Thaniar Anjalum

Worst:

  1. Thodari
  2. Pokkiri Raja
  3. Jil Junk Juk
  4. Thaarai Thappatai
  5. Idhu Namma Aalu
  6. Jackson Durai

English


Best:

  1. Doctor Strange
  2. Don't Breathe
  3. Dead Pool
  4. Zootopia
  5. Arrival
  6. Captain America: Civil War
  7. The Jungle Book
  8. La La Land
  9. Nocturnal animals 
  10. Swiss Army Man

Not Bad:

  1. The Nice Guys
  2. Hacksaw Ridge
  3. Captain Fantastic
  4. Hell or high water
  5. Sully
  6. Suicide Squad
  7. Now You See Me 2
  8. The Accountant
  9. Conjuring 2
  10. Snowden
  11. The Shallows
  12. Bad Moms
  13. Jack Reacher
  14. Hail, Caesar 
  15. Kungfu panda3
  16. Angry Birds
  17. XMen Apocalypse
  18. Batman vs Superman : Dawn of Justice
  19. Jason Bourne

Worst:

  1. Independence Day 2
  2. The Legend of Tarzan

Malayalam



Best:  

  1. Kammatipaadam
  2. Maheshinte Prathikaram
  3. Jacobinte Swargarajiyam
  4. Oppam
  5. Anuraga Karikkin Vellam
  6. Action Hero Biju
  7. Guppy
  8. Oru Muthasi Gadha
  9. Ann Maria Kalippilannu
  10. Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho

Not Bad:

  1. Puli Murugan
  2. Kali
  3. Kismath
  4. Pretham
  5. Happy Wedding
  6. Oozham
  7. King Liar
  8. Puthiya Niyamam
  9. Paavada
  10. Thoppil Joppan
  11. School Bus
  12. Darvinte Parinamam 
  13. Leela
  14. Kasaba

Hindi



Best:

  1. Dangal 
  2. AirLift
  3. Udta Punjab
  4. Fan
  5. Neerja
  6. Sultan
  7. Pink
  8. Kapoor and sons
  9. Aligarh
  10. Parched

Not Bad:

  1. Phobia
  2. Raman Raghav 2.0
  3. Dear Zindagi
  4. Rustom
  5. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
  6. MSD  
  7. Nil Battey Sannata
  8. Waiting
  9. Ki & Ka
  10. Sarabjit
  11. Akira
  12. Happy Bhag Jayegi
  13. Azhar

Worst:

    1. Mohenjo Daro 

    Telugu


    Best:

    1. Pelli Choopulu
    2. Kshanam
    3. Nannakku Prematho
    4. Jyo Achutananda
    5. Gentleman

    Not Bad:

    1. Sarrainodu
    2. A Aa
    3. Majnu
    4. Janatha Garage
    5. Krishna Gaddi Veera Prema Katha
    6. Pataas
    7. Nenu Sailaja
    8. Supreme
    9. Premam 

    Worst:

    1. Sardaar Gabbar Singh
    2. Brahmotsavam

    For previous years 2015, 2014, 2013.