PK bolo PK

Intro

PK is about an Alien dude who lands in India. He discovers language, he discovers religion or religions, he discovers the contradictions, he discovers India in it's true form. Being an Alien he questions everything and ends up being chased around for it.

Good

This movie is a moment of enlightenment in the collective Indian consciousness. Who are we? Well... an alien who drops from the sky asks us this question. As PK wanders from the desert of Rajasthan to the urban jungle of New Delhi, he holds our collective hand and leads the way. Entertaining us with our own contradictions. This movie will have conservatives, orthodox folks and extremists whimper with displeasure regardless of their race, caste or religion. It is a hit which will become a super hit with violent protests and bans propelling it to popularity unknown to Bollywood. #BoycottPK is actually #WeSupportPK in disguise.

The movie does this hand holding of the Indian identity with excellent acting, an amazing script, crazy ass camerawork and of course the wit and timing of Maestro Rajkumar Hirani's edit/direction.

Bad

I really wished that the shot of PK landing on earth was not the exact same one of Arnold time warping in the Terminator. It is a sort of a crane up from the crouching Amir's calf to his full facade which is clothed by an opportune cloud as he stands and walks away. That one shot plants the suspicion that the movie's making is very influenced heavily by hollywood. 

Ugly

This section is dedicated to our hypocritical religious and political leaders of all sects, who boink in their dancing cars, demand that their sensitive religious beliefs- that get hurt every time someone flushes the loo- be protected because they represent the sentiments of the people. Well go take a chill pill for the movie is against the wrong calls, made by superstitious and regressive beliefs, not against religion itself. The religion of hate, the religion of making gullible people pay through their nose, the religion of fear- is what is discussed in this movie. Watch and laugh, do not watch and organise a religious rally for what you will do is further popularise an epic movie. If you are a religious extremist- do yourself and your friends a favour- stay in your dancing car.  

Nightcrawler- crawls under your skin

Intro

This movie answers the question- what if Arnab Goswami were born in the ghettoes of Los Angeles California?

Good

Well, this story is the growth and development of one very intriguing protagonist. Even Arnab is not as relentless as Lou Bloom. The style of the movie is ultra real, making every turn, pulse pounding, and every anticipative scene, nerve wrecking. At one point I was thinking, what will this guy not do! Our character stumbles upon media goldmines, with sheer persistence and business rational. The angles and lighting somehow draw you further into this flawed genius's progression.  

Bad

I seriously struggle to fill this space in my review. I guess the media force fed modern day mind requires a whole lot of build up music to make scenes intense. But this movie makes the silences painfully anticipative. Painfully contemplative. It is a modern day uber classic. It blows your brains out this one.

Ugly

I have so much to say in this space. The nature of evil was discussed in interstellar, a movie I reviewed recently. I keep pondering- why do our heroes of the screen become more and more negative as the days go by. More and more shades of darkness, criss cross the screens, painting it a flourecent red blood colour. The thickness of these characters attack me at a soul level- is our world inherently evil? I repeatedly ask. Is success only for Arnab like loud and painful characters. If you thought Arnab was bad, you got a whole new level coming Jeeves.

Verdict-If you love media theory then this movie is to die for. For the rest of us, it still entertains. 7/10

Gone Girl- goes the mile

Intro

Think of all the negative emotions one could possibly have about marriage. Now think of a couple that amplifies it further and acts on all these emotions- that is 'gone girl' for you.

The Good

His wife goes missing, he smiles in the press photo op and he takes a selfie with some random woman outside the press center. 'What an idiot' 'What an insensitive prick' may be a few thoughts that runs through your head. But the director of the film has a lot more darkness, and psychological trauma awaiting the protagonists of this film. And that is where this film succeeds. By going all out on the pessimism, the movie does well in playing with the minds of the audience.

The bad

I did not like the end of the film. Maybe the book does better with the specifics of how the story actually ends. But the film's end makes everyone out to be idiots. Including the audience.

The ugly

Well, in the ugly section we discuss the ramifications of the film in real life and Indian culture. What does a man or a woman do, when stuck in a horrible marriage. Our newspapers are rife with reports of domestic abuse and wives getting burnt. Unless the two people who are living together and sharing a life are counselled properly, things always tend to go a bit haywire; maybe not as horribly as what happens in this film. But there are many accidents waiting to happen...

Verdict: A must watch if you like psychological thrillers. 6/10 pass marks, very few points off extraordinary.

John Wick made me Sick

Intro

I lost count of the people who got shot in this movie. I am not against glorifying violence (I did'nt mind 'Game of Thrones' for heaven sake). But this pointless shoot fest, was irritating! IMDB and rottentomatoes have rated this movie as above average, in their custom scale. Not only is this poorly directed film- below average, it sucks. Please read my blog if you want accurate reviews in the   future :P

The Good

Some of the...hmmm... a couple of 'shoot them all' sequences were really cool...

The Bad

...the rest of them were bad. I was rolling my eyes, again and again, with every other bullet that got fired and with very other rock music interlude where Keanu

Reeves struts about like a clumsy Rajini Kant. These sequences passed through my brain like a bullet- this side in and that side out. The movie is about this ex-hitman, who get enraged cause a bunch of punks kill his dog. This happens five minutes into the movie. No time for the audience to feel the love between the puppy and Wick. How is the puppy helping him grieve his dead wife, no one knows.  But it is dead, five minutes into the film and the killing starts. Dishkum dishkum... movie over.

The Ugly

My mom used to say- "Why do you watch these hollywood action movies? they are no better than the Tamil action movies." Either, she does not understand the sophistication required to make fight sequences realistic, or she does not care. Either way- John Hick- proves to be a brilliant case study to illustrate her point. And audiences want something more these days, bad guys get killed in the end by good guy, after a lot of violence, just does not cut it. The dog subtext, simply does not matter.  

Verdict

I will take a swift death by a John Wick bullet, than watch that movie again. 3/10 #avoidable.

The Dark Knight Rises like brilliantly baked bread

Intro

The epic conclusion or epic failure? 'Batman Begins' set the tone to one of the best movies ever made- The Dark Knight. Christopher Nolan sets the bar so freaking high with that movie and then leaps over it with 'Inception.' But what has he done with the 'Dark Knight Rises?'

Synopsis

Eight years after going into hiding, for crimes he did not commit, Batman comes out of retirement because Bane has risen an army of anarchists from under the sewers. They have infused dynamite in a lot of the city's  and put the entire city under hostage with a moving nuclear bomb. Will the Batman rise to this challenge that might be his last one?

Good

The usual Nolan ingredients have been mixed so generously in the base of the movie. Some outrageous action scenes, if the Joker wanted to see the World Burn then Bane wanted to pressure cook it into submission and destruction. Stunning dialogues and dialogue delivery infused with intricate plot lines which you will not miss but will not digest entirely the first time of viewing. Yes I have seen it twice now and hope to see it again. The complexity of all this yet the simplicity of the taste or the experience delivers on a platter an absolute stunner of a dish.

Bad

Unfortunately there are some cracks in this pastry. I think a movie this big and this good should not have let these cracks to appear and the chef should be blamed for this. I think the primary reason for the cracks is that there are too many characters and unlike in the Dark Knight 'I' the viewer am not allowed to sink into and experience each character enough like I did the Joker, Harvey two face and ultimately the Batman.

Why have so many characters? He should have done away with either the detective (the guy from inception) or the cat woman. He should have perhaps trifled with making the core ingredients the king and queen of this desert so that the taste remains for longer. 

Then there is the unforgivable shallowness of the fight scenes. Some of my friends compared it to Vijay Kanth the Tamil action hero. And I forgive them (being a harcore Nolan Disciple that I am) because there were certain scenes where the anarchists chose to wait for Batman to hit them them with his bare hands before making a move on him with the bloody gun they are using. Catwoman has a point when she complains of Batman's 'no guns rule.' So in which case the fight scenes should have reflected the deception and speed the batman employed in the first two movie. Instead unfortunately he moved like a Vijay Kanth. I am the hero of this movie and these men shall fall!

I am leaving out the problems with the screenplay because we have a strict 'no spoilers' philosophy at mamatamtan :)

Ugly

I would like to clarify here as to what is the 'Ugly' part of my reviews. It is is not what is horribly wrong with the movie, but it is my reflections on what this movie means to my life, to this world and to various cultures notably Indian Tamil Mallu cultures. It is a deeper meaning to all this chaos that we usually encounter in a movie or anything for that matter in the media!

Having got that out of the way, I would like to discuss what Nolan might have wanted to show with the anarchist 'Bane.' More than the obvious references or seeming reference to a violent version of the occupy movement. 'What will happen if you live so large and leave so little for the rest of us' leads to the fact that Batman himself is an anarchist but one who tries to restore the order or 'Hegemony' that already exists and the only reason it is justified is because he does not 'kill' (no guns policy). He does lead and army of cops in the end 'the symbols of oppressions. ' 

This is further deeply engrained when the batman from a priviledged class fights bane the one who rose from suffering and from hell. Well, all I can say is that this leaves a bitter sweet taste for http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/

Marks

Watch only if you have seen the first two parts, and watch twice if you wanted digest this heavy meal.

7.5/10 

Johnny English Reborn

Intro

The funniest man alive is back in a sequel to Johnny English. Rowan Atkinson is a can of slapstick, satire and absurdly funny facial expressions all put together for mass consumption. The can has been carefully preserved for many a years, for us common folk to consume once in a while- on sick days or such days when we feel horribly low. If Atkinson cannot make you laugh, then no one can. 

Synopsis

The bungling secret agent is back and will now have to fight a mysterious assassin organization called the vortex. Not only has he recovered and learnt from a horrible mistake he committed in Mozambique, but he also has stronger balls from training with the Tibetian monks. 

Good 

Its a funny movie that will make even conservative pricks laugh out in childish joy. This man can make you laugh by controlling his facial muscles and making them twitch like never done or seen before. Now those of you who are wondering, if this is is a tribute to Mr.Atkinson or a review for Johnny English Reborn beware. It is impossible to separate the man from his movies for he is in every frame (not technically verified) every dialogue and every laughter or the heart attack resulting from it.


The plot points are very good and this movie does not solely depend on Mr.Atkinson's god given talents (If you have watched his satirical sketches then devil given talents). This movie's story, though far from being legendary, keeps a good pace and accommodates the legendary comedian's antics very well indeed.  

Bad

The ending as rather bad. Not going to give it away, but after working meticulously on the script the script writer has slacked majorly when it came to writing the last few scenes.


And the movie was only 80% as funny as the 1st part. The sequel failed to exceed the first one by about half a mile.

Ugly 


The ugliness of human nature is revealed in this movie as we laugh at another's misery. My mom always resented 'Tom and Jerry' for the same reason. But she did not stop her children from watching the cartoon and neither did she prevent herself from laughing out loud. Atkinson head locks two old women (in different scenes) and hits them repeatedly on the head with a food tray. One of the women is the Queen of England herself. He mistook them for a Chinese assassin who is an old lady in disguise. You can see why this can be very funny. Hysterically even...


Perhaps a more seasoned psychologist can throw light on this phenomenon.

Marks- 7/10. Rowan Atkinson, Rowan Atkinson, Rowan Atkinson (the bottom line goes on like this...)

Contagion- Not that contagious

Intro

It is a Soderbergh film. Traffic and Syriana type, not the Ocean 11, 12 type.

Synopsis

MEV-1 Virus versus all of humankind. The virus spreads and mutates...the WHO and the CDC look for ways to contain, quarantine and vaccinate the world's population. We don't want to lose 1 % of our population like in 1918 when the Spanish flu ate 3% of us.

Good 

It is another Soderbergh film. I could have finished this part of the review with that line, but I will say more in another small paragraph which follows...

Incredibly well researched but very simply put... This is a docu- drama of sorts for every one. I for one feel well educated about how a pandemic starts and spreads. What is an R-0 (R-Nought)? How do diseases cross borders. And how do these new viruses get formed. The thrifty editing and no nonsense story progression keeps the audience well engaged, though in an indifferent way.... Which takes us to the next section.   

Bad

I will not stop short of calling the script boring by saying the following-

• The different plot lines don't connect
• Some parts of the script are rather forgettable and not needed - for instance Gwyneth Paltrow cheating on her husband Matt Damon
• The parts of the whole do not sink in and causes indifference even as a million people die on screen - for instance after the movie was done, a friend asked me if Kate Winslet was dead or alive at the end of the whole thing

Ugly

This pandemic thing is real- I have a friend who worked in a government hospital when the whole swine flu thing broke out and she told me how one of the doctors had died during the whole thing. I worried for her own safety a lot and I can only imagine the mental agony she must have had dealing with - indifferent nurses, dying colleagues, personal safety, dying people and public anger.

Watch this movie if you want to educate yourself stay home if you want entertainment. 

Marks- 6/10. A Soderbergh movie which is not as good as Traffic.  

Delhi Belly- Rib Tickling

Intro

Delhi Belly is rib tickling... I still laugh thinking about some of the jokes in this movie.

Synopsis

Diamonds are flown in from abroad and an air-hostess (Shenaz) unwittingly hands it over to her fiance (Imran) who makes an attempt to deliver it to the smugglers. The diamonds transform- 'Yeh toh tatti hai!' (still laughing). Shit happens in this movie, quiet literally.

Good 

The entire line of guys at the urinals, after the movie, were still laughing... Its well made, good use of the medium and though it reminds you a lot of modern day english sitcom... it is still pure genius. The songs are short, the action sequences long and comedy spontaneously hilariously dirty. The characters are very real and you will hate them as much as you love them... 

Bad

This is one of those good attention to details films. I will need to watch it 5 more times (which I intent to do at the soonest) to find anything remotely bad. Perhaps not philosophical enough and if there were layers I could not find it.

Ugly

There are many things ugly about this movie. All this comes in pure hindsight- was laughing too much to think beyond the next second of the film. I can imagine that the incredibly dirtiness inherent in the film will be humorous to only a niche albeit a huge niche in the world population. Please do not watch if you are below 18 or if you are a conservative prick or if you don't like silly, toilet, profane, slapstick humour. Also I read somewhere that the women are treated badly in this movie. And now in hindsight (eyesrolling) I realise that the portrayals of the 'bad girl,' 'noisy girl' and 'heartbreak girl' varieties was indeed stereotypical, but what the hell- Its still funny.

Marks- 8/10. I am going to end this review exactly the way that I started it. Delhi Belly- Rib tickling!

Boss Engira Baskaran. Excuse me boss, can I have some fun please?

Intro-

It is about time the Tamil film industry produced some original movies which can truly say- we are tamilians, this is how we are and we are enjoying being who we are! Though there are still a few clichés left intact, the story is original, the twists and turns are the funniest we have seen the industry produce in a very long time! This film is my ‘Nanben Da!’

Synopsis-

Baskaran (Arya) or Boss as he calls himself, has been trying to pass his arrear exams for a long time. In his bid to impress an intelligent English speaking professor (Nayantara), he decides to make something of his life. Pushed by his family to get a grip of his life he starts a tuition centre with the help of his best friend (Santhanam). Being a loser in life does not stop Boss from succeeding till one last obstacle forces him to take up the country sword (Aruval) and chase someone, which is how the movie starts.

Good-

The above synopsis might you think that the movie is one of those hero conquers all, beats every one up, impresses the girl kinda movie. But far from it! The twists and turns are surprisingly surprising, culminating in perfect comic timing. This is a modern day ‘Thillu Mullu’ the old Rajini starrer which had Tamil audiences ROFL. I think the glory days of comedy might be returning to Tamil land and let’s thank Arya for seeking out this wonderful script!

Bad-

Songs! No songs in good movies. Please. Please… I can only think of a few reasons to have songs in our films-

1)      Sell audio CD’s

2)      More screen time on Sun Music

3)      Hit songs, sometimes carry a crappy movie in the Tamil box office

None of these reasons explain why these songs should have such long screen times! I have a friend who has a theory- “Tamil movie culture mama! Tham break! (cigarette break)” Let me tell you this. Not too many smokers in our state anymore! And the only break we need is the bathroom break at interval. Morons! Reduce songs screen time. Ghajini hindi did this beautifully. They cut the item number to less than a minute. Watch the whole damn song in Sun Music you Perv!

Ugly-

Why are movie protagonists, especially in Tamil films these days, useless characters who have arrears. Duh… it is because most movie going tamil youth have a long list of arrears. Vaalga – VVVVS Varuthapadatha, Vekkapadatha, Vetti, Valibar Sangam. Translation- Long Live- No worry, No shame, No job, Youth Peoples of Tamil land.

Marks- 7/10 – Don’t miss it if you understand Tamil (even partially would do)

Welcome Address

After constructing a small stage in the middle of the road, obstructing traffic, garlanding chief guests, and then wrapping them with a cheap yet shiny piece of cloth, I invite speaker one- Mr.Tamil Tantrum to bore the audiences and 'talk like a poem.'

  This space is a place where we lost, extreme south Indians (pun intended) talk about our culture and our social lives. Unfortunately we learn and disseminate culture through our movies. It is also a good way to understand what we are thinking. Our repressed sexualities, our hidden fantasies, our dark as well as good sides are manifested so colourfully on screen.

So this blog is largely an analysis from this perspective. This space is also our reflections on foreign culture based on their movies.

I would like to finish this fine speech by saying we hope to stun audiences and create a revolution by putting dirty thoughts in your head and by seating you on an office chair and spinning it around till you scream - "What madess?" We are doing what our movies do to you! So let the tantrums begin.

I now invite the 2nd speaker. Mr. Mallu Maddness.

Heeellllooooo Every body! Please do not scream thank you for the applause, I like to thank all the people on the road on their vehicles and watching us never expected such a huge crowd thank you. I am not as eloquent like my friend and i can not talk like a poem like him but i shall try my best. I promise you on this coconut i hold in my hand ... oops one sec let me pick it up again...oops anddd  aaaah there we go i promise on this coconut that, we shall dissect movies and try not to reveal the plot and give you a good idea on how good or bad a movie is.

As my friend rightfully said this space will be used to let you know about movies which are running on screen and about movies which are off screen as well, this forum is all about movies and it will not be restricted to movies of any particular genre or language.

So the less said the better may the madness and tantrums begin

I thank you all for being supportive through this event, i request our honourable guest of honour   Mr. Uurandappan to declare this space open.

Uurandappan : " I hereby declare this space open".