District 9 - a different alien movie

I know that this review is long due but finally I managed to sneak in some time during my lunch break to write this up.. quick and fast.. no denial.. district 9 is an alien movie.. but unlike the other alien movies we have seen which are either full of gore or melodrama like our own Koi..mil gaya.. this movie is definitely different where aliens have got stranded on earth and have learnt to co-exist with humans but are treated as outlaws..the movie kicks as a part of a narration from new comer Wikus van de Merwe played brilliantly by Sharlto Copley who is a part of MNU (Multinational United), a private military company that is hired by the South African government to relocate nearly 1.8 million aliens to a new district 10 after their ship gets stuck due to a technical flaw.. now the movie picks up pace when Wikus goes in person to the alien dug out to hand over eviction notices to them.. during this process he comes across 3 aliens led by Christoper who have created a mysterious fluid and store it in a canister.. Wikus discovers it and when handling it accidentally sprays the liquid all over his face.. he then starts to feel it.. and the physical transformation happens.. his whole life falls apart as he starts to develop a physical form like the aliens themselves.. he now becomes a named fugitive and escapes from the clutches of the MNU which wants to use his dna for creating anti-alien weaponry..He also manages to gather some weapons and escapes from the clutches of the paralyzed warlord, Obesandjo.. he joins hands with Christopher and retrieves the canister containing the liquid from the MNU lab..somehow as they try to make good their escape.. Christoper reveals that it will take 3 years for him to go back to his planet and get the cure for Wikus which irks him and he knocks Christopher down.. in a series of events the MNU swoop down on Wikus before he can take off in the ship and shoot it down.. the war lords also strike at the same time and in the battle that ensues Wikus ends up fighting for the aliens and Christopher and his son make good their escape.. finally as there are on going commentaries about the whereabouts of Wikus, his wife gets a flower shaped out of scrap metal and she knows Wikus is out there.. the end shows Wikus, now a completely transformed alien making a flower out of scrap metal.. whether Christopher comes back for Wikus is not known.. the screenplay is brilliant.. Sharlto Copley as Wikus is brilliant.. in the initial scenes as the man in charge, speaking to the aliens.. the transformation.. the emotions he goes through when he knows he is going to be utilized.. he is a revelation.. the others also play their role equally well.. Jason Cope as Christopher.. the alien is good as well.. the Eugene as the paralyzed warlord Obesandjo looks terrifying.. on the whole, its a very different alien movie with a wonderfully weaved story line that is racy and keeps us at the edge of our seat.. definitely a dvd collectors edition.. if you are a fan of movies of this genre..

Will be back soon.. yet again :-)

I know its been the nth time where I have said I will be back soon but blame my lazy behind.. I just need to make time for this and write.. I recently watch district 9.. loved it :-) I also watched another one called deception.. so so.. am yet to watch up in the air and the hurt locker.. both serious movies that need a lot of my concentration.. I also want to watch angadi theru.. heard it was brilliant.. and of course waiting to hit the theatres as it has been quite a while.. probably iron man 2 and then singam? too much to do.. will keep updating my posts..till then.. adios..

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya - a love story well told

I have been wanting to write this review for sometime now but found the time only now.. I went and watched VTV primarily because it was a Gautham Menon movie.. I like the way Gautham tells his stories.. there is nothing mind blowingly different about them except the way he weaves them on screen.. it is refereshing, it is different and it is very matter of fact with a big under play of melodrama.. I have watched all of  his movies from Minnale which of course had a lot of masala in it but then the progression from Minnale to Kakha Kakha was tremendous.. I have watched a few of Simbu's movies but have been largely discouraged to avoid his movies because of his trademark antics viz waving his hands.. unwanted punch dialogues, smirks etc on screen.. but what Gautham has done to Simbu in this movie is just mind blowing.. though I feel his dialogue delivery could have been slightly better.. most of the situations in the movie are sequences that anybody who has been in love would have definitely gone through.. Simbu has underplayed his natural mannerisms and mellowed himself so much so that it would be difficult to get out of this image.. Trisha was good.. for a change.. her acting was good in a few scenes.. pretty natural.. though I did not get the reason behind her sloppy walk.. was it intentional or wasn't she just not comfortable in the saree..considering her other costumes are just a little bigger than a hand towel :-)  the ending was totally different.. it is not the typical guy falls in love.. tension in the middle and all is well that ends well kind of a story.. apparently the telugu movie has a happy ending because the producers of the telugu version wanted it that way.. it is also good to note that tamil audience are a lot more mature and have adapted themselves to endings like this as well.. it shows that the maturity of the film going audience in Chennai is definitely improving.. it was great to see Babu Antony on screen after ages.. except for some slight signs of aging.. he still looks great.. I still remember him for his terrifying role in Poovizhi Vasalile.. nice performances from the other supporting cast as well.. especially Simbu's cinematographer friend who provided good deal of laughs in most parts.. Kitti, Uma and others.. this movie is definitely not for the so called "C" class audience so to say.. like Varanam Aayiram.. Gautham has again targetted the A and B centers.. if am getting the industry terminology right.. I just hope someday Gautham makes a movie which is a complete village subject with tharai thambattai et all.. or probably a hybrid one which involves both village as well as some city thrown in to it.. knowing him.. am sure he will make that interesting as well.. Go watch VTV.. it is definitely worth a watch.. I watched it for Gautham  and of course the mind blowing music of ARR.. shot fabulously by Manoj Paramahansa :-)

3 idiots - my take..

Quite a long pause before I managed to do this review.. 3 idiots.. what do I say? in short..brilliant in some parts because of the histrionics, filmy in most parts.. cleverly altered so that it does not become a replica of the book though some portions show through enough that it has been ripped straight off the book.. After all the controversies around this movie.. I would say that it is a contorted version of the book.. what ever directorial changes or script changes might have been done to this.. it was a good thing that I read the book first.. I have a great deal of respect for Raju Hirani as a film maker and Iam a big fan of the Munna Bhai series.. I have no big deal of respect for Vidhu Vinod Chopra because he has always come across as a dude with a loud mouth and a bad attitude.. whatever said and done..whatever changes you might have done to the script..change the protagonist.. change sequences.. blah blah. the basic idea.. the seed for the movie was the book and I think Chetan or rather any author is entitled the due credit for this.. From an acting part.. I think Aamir was at his best as always.. undeniably one of the best talents the hindi film industry has.. Madhavan I felt did not have much to do but his talk post the movie has been a bit too much on how choosy he is about this movies blah blah.. Maddy.. do not forget you did movies like rendu, thambi etc when the hindi film industry ignored you :-).. Sharman, for me, was a revelation but he was getting too teary eyed too often.. Boman was great..as usual.. I will not comment on Kareena as I do not comment on people I do not like.. in fact the person who played her sister did a better job than her.. though the vaccum birth sequence was a bit too much to stomach.. my thoughts.. good movie but great marketing raked in the moolah for this one.. certainly not a mind blowing movie.. have seen better ones than this..

3 idiots

Finally managed to watch 3 idiots this weekend.. the movie was beginning to look like one of those jinxed movies that I forever plan to watch and never do.. I will come back with a detailed review shortly.. my quick feedback.. I do not feel its a movie that needs to be raved about :-) this is purely my personal opinion.. I will explain why it is that way purely from my opinion when I get a chance.. as work is keeping me real busy now.. cya in a bit..

2 states..

Finally.. I completed two states.. the second novel am reading of Chetan Bhagat.. as I had mentioned in my earlier post.. Chetan is not a classy writer who uses hard to understand English words which only a say.. PG in English literature can understand.. its just plain simple english that you and I talk.. well the IIT slang has not gone away a lot from FPS though the character has graduated from an engineer to an MBA grad :-) Its a nice love story between a Punjabi boy and a Sounth Indian Tamil girl.. fiery one I should say cause she is not "your" tamil iyer girl.. she is an IIM grad, she is fiery, she is sexy, super confident and according to the Punjabi boy.. super hot too.. yes.. thats a very very rare package to find but at the end of the day its all in the eyes of the beholder.. I liked the way Chetan builds up the story.. some places it gets a bit filmish like for eg:- when things fall out temporarily between them and the boy grows a beard.. some devdas feelings thrown in ;-) the bottle and dog were missing.. but loved the fights between the two families.. took a slight offense to repeated mention of south indians as madrasis and dark people.. but overall a nice read.. all for 60 bucks or so.. go get it.. now let me look out for the other books of Chetan..

2 states is funny

Iam currently on to 2 states in full swing and Iam almost done with it.. its hilarious and funny.. Chetan is not a writer who uses swanky english words.. it is very very straight forward english..let me finish the book and get back with my comments.. btw, am yet to watch 3 idiots :-)