SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - REVIEW

Cast:	Dev Patel, Freida Pinto,Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Madhur Mittal, Imran Hasnee, Mahesh Manjrekar,
Direction:	Danny Boyle
Music:	A R Rahman

This is the movie that grabbed few awards in Golden Globe and also nominees for 10 awards in Oscar coming 20th Feb, including 3 nominees for A.R. Rahman. Almost all websites praised this movie very much. These are the reasons that makes me sooooooooo eager to watch the movie. The film starts at the end; Jamal(Dev Patel), a 18-year-old teenager is just one correct answer away from winning a 20 million rupee on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? But when the show breaks for the night, the host (Anil Kapoor) is too sure that a person from the slums cant possibly know all the answers, so he brings the police(Irrfan Khan) to arrest him on suspicion of cheating, how could a street kid know so much? Danny Boyle starts the movie with this interesting narration.
The story of Slumdog Millionaire is very simple actually. Im very sure you guys know the game show, Who wants to be a millionaire. How an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai answer all the questions in the game show by thinking the incidents happened in his life forms the story. Sounds interesting? Yeah, its an interesting movie with an interesting narration. Jamal explain to the police one by one how he knows all the answer. All the answers have connections with his life since he was a kid, he had pass through all the answers. After the police found that Jamal is an innocent guy, they let him go to answer the final question for the game show. Did Jamal manage to win the 20 million rupee? Watch the movie to know the answer. Hahaha
Is India, what is shown in the Movie? Does this movie correctly reflect India? These might be the questions that one might ask after watch the movie because the director have show the country in such a miserable ways. Ok, now let me tell you guys what i personally feel about the movie.
First of all, the minus point; the movie shows that the kids are speaking hindi in the beginning, they are uneducated somemore, but when the kids grow older, suddenly the movie switch, showing them speaking english(in a very good manner somemore). The way they behave also like someone who have studied in concent school. I feel if the director have shown them speaking the local broken english, it will be acceptable. Secondly, the answers given by Jamal. For examples, Anil Kapoor asked Jamal the lyric writer for a particular song. The next clip shown is how the question related to his life. He had listen to the song when he was very young, thats all. My question is, how he knows the name of the lyric writer by just listening to the song?There are no scenes shown he had cross the lyric writer's name. This is just an example of the questions. I found that few more questions have the same problems. The director should have pay more attention to make it in more believable way.
Now, the plus point; first of all, the choice of actors. All the actors have given life to the characters, especially i appreciate the kids, wow...wow......wow, they have acted very naturally. Not forgetting Dev Patel,the hero of the movie, he have performed very well by understanding the importants of the character that he played, a very promising actor. Secondly, the technical aspect. What should i write about A.R. Rahman? He won the Best Music Award in Golden Globe and have been nominated for Best Music in Oscar, these two achievements are enough to comment about his music for this fim. He did a wonderful job in background score. But, i personally feel that his composition for some indian films(Bombay, Indian etc2) far more better compare to this film. If these films directed by a hollywood director and released in English, for sure he have won the Oscar long time before. Cinematography is very important for a movie like this and the cinematographer doesn't fail to impress us with the best-innovative placements of camera angles. I think this is the first time i saw Mumbai like this.
Overall, the movie is worth watching. Those who wants to watch a different kind of movie, please go for it. Hats off to the director for coming up with such an bold attempt. Congratulations for all the Oscar nominees, especially A. R. Rahman.

NAAN KADAVUL - REVIEW

Star-casts: Aarya, Pooja and others
Banner: Pyramid Saimira
Story, Screenplay and Direction: Bala
Dialogues: Jayamohan
Music: Ilayaraja
Cinematography: Arthur A Wilson
Art: Krishnamoorthy
Stunts: Super Subrayan


The movie that have been made for almost 3 years finally hit the big screen yesterday(6th Feb 2009). It's a big day for fans of Bala and Aarya. The last movie directed by Bala is Pithamagan, released 5 years ago, which won a national award for Vikram. For Aarya, we seen him lastly in Orompo which did not fare well among movie goers. Before you guys enter the teatre, keep one thing in mind, this is a Bala's movie. So, automatically movies like Sethu, Nandha and Pithamagan will come to your mind. Naan Kadavul also follows the same narrative style of Bala. You guys can feel Bala's touch everywhere in the film. Watching Naan Kadavul is about something experiencing an unknown or unforeseen journey of two different worlds; those who consider themselves as God while for the other one it’s only God who can save them. One might question why Bala took such a long time in making this film, even i was wondering the same and everyone has the answer as they watch it.
The story goes like this......... The astrologers said it was bad luck to have his son at home. So, giving in to this believes, the father abandons his son at Kasi and only returns after 15 years of guilt at his cruelty. The estranged son Rudhra (Aarya) grows amidst of Aghory Rishis who have no emotional concerns for relationships. Realizing his faulty nature, the father along with his daughter returns to Kasi for bringing his son back to Tamil Nadu. What the father finds is not a normal young man, but a wild, shaggy-haired and bushy-bearded man. His encounters in Tamilnadu forms the story. Wait! Wait.......This is just one side of the story. There are another story added in this movie which is about the life of beggers. It’s where Hamsavalli (Pooja), a blind beggar and other physically and mentally challenged children, men and women are tortured to beg by Thandavam (Rajendran). How this both different stories can be connected into a story? I personally feel, Bala failed in the narration this time. It looks like he was not sure as to where to draw the line. Still remember Pithamagan? Firstly, the director told us about the lifestyle of Vikram and then the director move to another story, where Surya and his lifestyle is shown. Before the interval, both the characters will meet and from there onwards, the story will move in one story until the climax. But, here in Naan kadvul, as i said the story will start with Aarya and then move to Pooja's story but it wont have any connections until the climax. Aarya, who unable to stay along the city and his parents, gets into the hilltop and dwells inside caves. This is where Pooja and the other beggers shown begging. The director should atleast potray Aarya's character by showing some scenes as a do gooder for the beggers, but unfortunatley he wont have any connections with them except the place where both of them live, the hilltop. It all seems a little too sudden sometimes. The movie started well actually, but as i said Bala was not sure as to where to draw the line. Aarya suddenly becomes the savior now who doesn’t just put an end to evil elements, but brings light to the beggers and also to Pooja in a way that will leave you breathless.
About the starcast........ In a Bala film, you can expect the artists to be at their best and the entire starcast will fullfill ur expectations. We have seen Aarya in cool outfit and macho looks, but here in Naan kadavul, he potrays a character which will leave an impact to the audiences. Hats off for Aarya for choosing the story where he can shows his acting skills. It must have been a difficult task to learn yogic poses, but he has done it very well. His body is perfect for a yogi’s, here is a star in the making, for sure. One might think whether Aarya will succeed in a Bala movie. After you watch this movie, your doubt will be definatley cleared. But the sad thing is, normaly in a Bala movie, the story will move around the hero, but here, Arya does not have that much of screen time though he does make an impact whenever he appears. Remember Pooja? She is the same girl who danced in skimpy outfit when she firstly introduced in Jay Jay and then a list of movies where she acted as a modern girl. One can't stop praising her acting ability after watch this movie and i don't know whether any other heroines dare to act in such a heavy role. She even dubbed in her own voice. The Villain, Rajendran.......This is the first time i saw him in a movie, i don't know whether he is a new comer or wat but he acted very naturally. New villain in making. All the supporting actors, especialy the beggers(if im not mistaken, they are real beggers) have acted very naturally as they have acted in 100 movies before. Watch out the beggar boy who has, despite his woes, loads of attitude and a great sense of humour. Ilayaraaja, the maestro in music have beautifully tune the songs according to the mood of the movie and given his best in background score as well. Art direction and also the cinematography always play a big part in Bala's movie and Naan kadavul have not exception. Arthur A Wilson and Krishnamoorthy respectively done their job wonderfully. To talk about the fight scenes, it has been wonderfuly choreograped by Super Subrayan. I think there are no dupe in the fight scenes.
Summing up, Naan Kadavul is not a movie that everyone can digest. None of the versatile filmmakers had ever dared to attempt weaving such a poignant tale. Hats off to Bala and entire team for that. But, as i said earlier, if Bala have concentrate more in the narration of two different stories and how to connect both these stories into one, i'll feel more satisfied. This is just the review from my side and i don't know the expectation from you guys for this movie. So, kindly send ur comments after you guys watch the movie. Thank you