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- Opinions, Pop Culture etcPonniyin Selvan: 1, directed by Mani Ratnam, is the first of the two films in the Ponniyin Selvan franchise, the official adaptation of Kalki Krishnamurthy’s 1955 novel series of the same name. When the ailing emperor of the Chola dynasty Sundara Chola (played by Prakash Raj) is ready to be succeeded by his son Adithya Karikalan (played by Viram), enemies begin conspiring against the succession. Amidst all this, Karikalan sends his friend Vanthaiyathevan, a spy, to bring back his siblings Kundhavai (played by Trisha) and Arunmozhi Varman (played by Jayam Ravi). This synopsis is not even one-fourth of what unfolds in the film. To condense almost two and a half novels of a series which is touted as the best work in the history of Tamil literature into a three-hour film is a mammoth task to say the least. The film has to stay loyal and do justice to the legacy of the original work and its die-hard followers spanning generations of readers while also pleasing the ones who are new to Kalki’s universe. The extent to which you will like the film is highly subjective because it depends a lot on your expectations from it. If you want a popcorn entertainer with a larger-than-life setup filled with crowd-pleasing moments, I’m afraid that you’ll be in for a disappointment. The film’s target audience is the one that craves for more than just a fantasy-land and is ready to flex its brain cells in order to follow the dense plot jam-packed with twists, conspiracies, manipulation and betrayal (think Mahabharat for reference). It requires you to follow every dialogue, make a mental map of relations among the characters while watching the film and focus on what and who is being spoken about, because it can get difficult to keep track of the events taking place in case you plan to watch it passively. There is something to admire in practically every frame of the film, but despite the grandeur and the staggering beauty of the set-pieces, the efforts put into making things realistic and grounded ironically make the deliberate imperfections turn every scene near flawless. However, the VFX-induced artificiality of the background in a fight sequence at a sea-shore is easily noticeable; a rescue scene featuring an elephant, which was very crucial for the plot, is also choreographed in a generic way, lacking the element of mystery the sequence deserved. Much has already been said about the cinematography by Ravi Varman and the music by AR Rahman and the only way to know how great they are is by experiencing them for yourself, if possible, in IMAX format. There is no doubt in the fact that PS: 1 would have collapsed without the strong performances it boasts of. Karthi’s Vanthaiyathevan, from whose perspective a large part of the film has been shot, is the most lovable character of all. He is flirtatious and funny but equally smart. Vikram convincingly brings out both the physical prowess of Karikalan and the ache he suffers from his tragic past with his previous lover Nandhini. Jayam Ravi totally justifies his titular role of Ponniyin Selvan and the rest of the cast, including Trisha, Jayaram, Shobhita Dhulipala and Aishwarya Lekshmi play their characters with full conviction too. But it is the antagonist of the film, easily the most layered character, Nandhini, played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, in which the film finds its heart and soul. Her vile serpent smile and the appetite for the throne in her eyes curtain the pain and the thirst for vengeance burdening her existence (a theme that will be fully explored in the upcoming part). Her blinding beauty is a weapon for manipulation, cleverly defining the course of events. Watch out for her expressions in Adithya Karikalan’s flashback that is staged right before the intermission and the scene where the camera lingers on her gaze that eyes the throne brimming with an unfulfilled dream; it is only a testimony to how well the actress has mastered the art of conveying volumes while not speaking any dialogue. But with all the twists in the story and a narrative jumping back and forth in different places, PS: 1 leaves you with very little to chew on as it serves mostly as a set-up film and leaves much of the interesting part to the second movie (to be released next year). A nail-biting cliff-hanger that cleverly allows you to connect some dots and make theories of your own will make sure that you start counting days until the release of the next film. I am going with 3.5 out of 5 stars for Ponniyin Selvan. To watch or not, do you really have to ask?Like
- Opinions, Pop Culture etcDomestic abuse remains prevalent even today, but its representation in the cinema has been on the verge of becoming passé for quite some time. Therefore, it was a clever decision on the part of debutant director Jasmeet Reen to present the issue in a new light in her film ‘Darlings’. Co-writers Jasmeet Reen and Parveez Sheikh have created a dark comedy on the same theme. Hamza (played by Vijay Verma) is an alcohol addict who gets triggered by the smallest of events to physically abuse his wife Badru (Alia Bhatt). Badru’s mother Shamshu (played by a terrific Shefali Shah) constantly urges Badru to leave Hamza, though her daughter wants to stay married because she believes that her husband will change. But one night, when Hamza pushes Badru too far, she realises that the problem was not with her husband’s alcohol addiction but with the man himself. So she decides to teach him a lesson by keeping him captive in his own house and inflicting the same tortures on him that he used to torment her with. It is, indeed, difficult to tackle an issue this serious with a script that is embedded with humour. This is a feat at which the writers shine because the film effectively manages to find a balance between the depth of the topic and the light-hearted comedy that the movie is punctuated with. Cinematographer Anil Mehta captures the claustrophobic home of Badru and Hamza which becomes a reflection of Badru’s inner suffocation. The performances are excellent. Alia Bhatt puts in genuine efforts to fit into the character and gets several shining moments, but the strain to sound rustic is visible at times. Vijay Verma is convincing as Hamza, to an extent that it becomes difficult not to despise him. A riveting Shefali Shah is simply brilliant in every frame. Watch out for her expressions in the scenes that immediately follow Hamza hitting her. The part of the climax that shows what exactly Badru and Shamshu decide to do to Hamza at the end is unintentionally comical. The one question that remains in my mind is why Badru bothered to go through all the troubles by kidnapping and torturing her husband when the cops were ready to put him behind the bars and her supportive mother was suggesting her a divorce already. I get that she wanted to punish Hamza herself, but did she not think about what would happen afterwards? Despite its shortcomings, the film, available to stream on Netflix, doesn’t fail to keep you engaged in its story and the protagonist. I am going with Three-and-a-half out of Five stars for Darlings.Like
- Opinions, Pop Culture etcThe Gray Man, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, has everything it takes to make an engaging action thriller- a star-studded cast, slick action sequences, competent actors to deliver them convincingly and of course, the writer-directors, Russo Brothers (who also directed Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame) themselves. But the film’s fatal flaw is its ho-hum plot that never lets it become anything more than the sum of its parts. An undercover Sierra Agent Number Six (played by Ryan Gosling) uncovers some dark secrets of the CIA. So the head, Denny Carmichael (played by Rege Jean Page), orders the psychopathic Lloyd Hansen (played by Chris Evans) to catch number Six. The plot has nothing new to offer and lacks any element of suspense to keep you on your toes or even so much as catch your attention. The entire film is so predictable that you never feel like caring about the lead. You know that he will come out of the most dangerous of ambushes and fights unharmed. The cinematography by Stephen Windon is at its best. In one of the early scenes in the film, a duel between the number Six and the number Four Sierra agent takes place in the middle of a firework at a party. The visuals were dazzling. The stunt sequel set in Prague, with the chasing cars and the tram was thrilling in particular. The performances were satisfying too. Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas meticulously deliver all the stunts without faltering. But I wonder why everybody was so keen on fighting with their hands if they had guns. It was refreshing to see our beloved Cap (Evans) in a manic shade that is difficult to despise. Dhanush, meanwhile, makes his cameo memorable by doing justice to his never-seen-before action-flick side. Although if I were at his place, I would seriously consider at least unbuttoning my tight-chic suit before starting a simultaneous fight with Gosling and Armas. Even after all its pros, The Gray Man is just passable. The story is far from engrossing. Despite the little backstory of Gosling’s character that the film provides you with, you never get a chance to emotionally invest yourself in the lead or any of the other characters. This one is a one-time watch, available to stream on Netflix. I am going with Two and-a-half out of Five stars for The Gray ManLike
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