Kulir 100 Degree

Kulir (Cold) will have no degrees rising to 100. So contrastive and interesting is the title indeed, but the film fails to captivate everyone’s senses.
Anita Udeep had gone through commendable works in her past including animation films and her embodiment as playback singer. But, her debut in Kollywood with ‘Kulir 100 Degree’ is so commendable

Synopsis:Story revolves around a young lad of 11th standard getting into rowdyism. Naturally his mother fearing that his rowdy father may spoil his career, sends him off to a boarding school in Ooty. Rest of the film is about this guy’s life with his friend Babloo and girlfriend Taniya. Not alone the happy moments, but he has to undergo whole lots of tougher things by his senior students.Analysis:Most of the characterizations are much caricatured and never seem to be realistic apart from the characterization of Babloo. Even, his role has been stereotypical as fat boys are food addicts. Although the girl looks cute and charming, she doesn’t suit the screens. Better she can be cover page model. Sanjeev donning the lead role does justice to his role.Technically BrilliantTechnically, the film is brilliant with stunning cinematography and colorful visuals that will keep the audiences intact in time span of whole duration. Musical score is quite good and the song ‘Manasellam’ is extraordinary.Final Take:You can watch it without any expectations and enjoy it

Bhagyadevata - review

Veteran director Sathyan Anthikad's latest Jayaram starrer Bhagyadevata is yet another must-watch, after his Achuvinte Amma (2005), Rasathanthram (2006), Vinodhayathra (2007) and Innathe Chinthavishayam (2008). After a dull start at the box office, this family entertainer, set in the lush green backdrop of Kerala's fertile Kuttanad region, is currently running house full in all releasing centres across the state.

Bhagyadevata revolves around Benny (Jayaram), a farmer and local cable operator in the rural area of Kuttanadu. He has a family comprising his widowed mother, two sisters Sophie and Sali, and his paternal grandmother. In the struggle to make ends meet, Benny often finds himself on the losing side. Benny is perpetually in search of business opportunities that would make him financially secure. Benny's friend Sadanandan (Nedumuni Venu) gives him the idea of buying a second-hand fishing boat. To finance the purchase of the boat, he also suggests that Benny should get married for a substantial dowry. Benny marries a state agriculture officer's daughter Daisy (Kanihaa) hoping to get dowry of five Lakhs, using which he can get his sisters married and buy a boat.

However, Daisy's father (Venu Nagavalli) fails to pay the amount on the day of marriage. He asks for a grace period of three months. In the meantime, Daisy becomes the darling of his home, but Benny, who had planned things based on the dowry and even paid an advance for a fishing boat, feels cheated and turns desperate. He tells his wife that he will not consummate their marriage unless he gets the money. Things take a different twist from that point.

Though an age-old tale, the film still holds audience interest. Moving on predictable lines, especially in the second half, it is certainly not the director's best film. Yet, the film still succeeds in creating a refreshing charm. Sathyan has handled the subject with aplomb, subtly pointing out the soft underbelly of society's ills without preaching.

Jayaram excels in a tailor-made role. Brilliant framing by cinematographer Venu and background score by Ilayaraja etch one of the best portrayals by Jayram. Kanihaa looks convincing as a Christian girl from a rural background, though her character has few dialogues. Most of Sathyan Anthikkad's trusted actors - Innocent, Mammookoya, K.P.A.C. Lalitha and Narein - do their best within the scopes of their roles. Even the girls who played Jayaram's sisters and the fishing boat owner have put in their best efforts to make their parts look perfect.

Cinematographer Venu has succeeded in making the frames look natural. Ilayaraja's music is good and suits the mood of the film well. In a nutshell, Sathyan Anthikad strikes the right chord once again, making Bhagyadevata a must-watch for the entire family.

Dashavatar (2009)

Dashavatar: Is paisa vasool entertainer

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Starring: Kamal Haasan, Asin, Jaya Prada and Mallika Sherawat

Director: K.S. Ravi Kumar

It would not be fair to reveal the entire plot of this film as the great fun while watching this film lies in the thrilling ride it takes us while watching it. The story of the film is almost a sprawling “epic,” that begins in ancient times (12th century) of evil kings and heroic Brahmins (Kamal in his 1st part out of the 10), then it fast-forwards to 2004. A computer chip containing a vicious biological material goes missing from a laboratory in the United States. An in-house scientist Govinda (Kamal again) who is aware of the dangers of the material launches a hunt for the missing material, which takes him to India. In the course of the hunt for the missing chip, Kamal takes on eight more characters and travels to many continents. From here, the film goes to a time when the whole world is on the brink of a biological warfare waged by terrorists. Actively opposing them is the American president who urges the rest of the world to combat this evil.

The film is part fantasy, part sci-fi, part action-adventure, part crime-thriller, part disaster movie etc. So huge is its canvass that it almost spans the entire globe right from America to India and even Japan. Not only that, you get to see Kamal Hassan fighting, in bike chases, car chases, singing, dancing, on ledges of tall buildings, falling off construction sites, you name it. The best part of it all is probably seeing Kamal Hassan fighting himself. While at times the special effects may not seem top-notch, it’s a wonder to see how much work has been put into this movie. The digital composites, the way they choreographed the movements of the camera and the actors, especially when Kamal Hassan’s multiple characters appear together in a single frame and move about, criss-crossing each other. Simply terrific.

Kamal Haasan deserves all the possible acting awards of our country and beyond for his brilliant act. His each role out of the 10 is a challenging task but he impresses the most as the Vaishnavite Brahmin Ranga. Asin in double role playing his love interest doesn’t get real great scope like she had in Ghajini but she impresses nonetheless. Mallika Sherawat in a role with negative shades is good too. Jaya Prada does a competent job. Rest all cast fits the bill and do a fine job as well. Himesh Reshammiya's music doesn't impress though and the almost three hours plus running time gets a bit tiring at times as well. But then you realise the set up as big as this requires such a long running time.

For entertainment hungry audience, this film is a mega treat, a must watch. At times you need to suspend your beliefs but then what the heck it is not as mindless as some other big hits that expect you to do so. Go watch the film for Kamal Haasan and the huge canvass.

REVIEW: MOZ & CAT

Release date: April 14

Director: Fazil

Cast: Dileep, Aswathy, Baby Niveditha

DID YOU KNOW? Ace director Fazil has been going through a lean patch of late. His last film was a Tamil one, Oru Naal Oru Kanavu. Aswathy, the heroine, is a TV anchor and model. Johny Sagarika, the producer, is also in the process of making another film right now, Bodyguard, directed by Siddique.

RAPID REVIEW: Moz D Samuel (Dileep) is an orphan and plays pranks on others to earn a living! He has a kid, another orphan, named Tessy (Baby Niveditha) for company. The two befriends Nandana (Aswathy), a super-rich girl, during one of their routine encounters. Nandana decides to use Tessy to remind her brother Sumesh (Rahman) about their childhood. Why, Sumesh is a junkie!

The twists and turns in this film is more than what you find in a rollercoaster. Fazil has narrated some lovely tales with such intricate surroundings, but he loses his way here. Moz & Cat turns out to be a horrifying experience in the end, no less.

HIGHS: Baby Niveditha!

LOWS: Too many even to list them!

Verdict: 1 out of 5

BANARAS

Release date: April 9

Director: Nemom Pushparaj

Cast: Vineeth, Navya Nair, Kavya Madhavan

DID YOU KNOW? Nemom Pushparaj, who has earlier directed Gouri Sankaram with Kavya Madhavan and Munna in the lead, is basically an art director. The story of Banaras has been credited to the producer of the film, M R Nair. The screenplay and dialogues are by Cherian Kalpakavadi. The film was mainly shot at Banaras.

RAPID REVIEW: Hari (Vineeth) had a sad childhood, after his mother’s death. His affair with his murappennu, Devu (Navya Nair), had everyone’s approval. But the equations change after Hari joins Banaras Hindu University for his research. There he meets Amrita (Kavya Madhavan), a gifted dancer.

Banaras has a genuine storyline and it has been narrated in a conventional pattern. The music adds to the mood of the film.

HIGHS: The twists and turns in its storyline.

LOWS: Conventional style of filmmaking.

Verdict: 2 out of 5

REVIEW: INSPECTOR GENERAL (I G)

Director: Unnikrishnan B

Cast: Suresh Gopi, Govind Padmasurya

DID YOU KNOW? I G is B Unnikrishnan’s next venture after the hit Madambi. Suresh Gopi is back at what he is best at, being a cop, that is. Joining him in the cast is Govind Padmasurya, who was noted in the award winning Adayalangal and Anaitha Nair, who was part of Jayaraj’s By the People and of course, in the Shah Rukh Khan blockbuster, Chak De India.

RAPID REVIEW: I G is an entertainer in the cop-thriller mould. Suresh Gopi is back as the high voltage super cop. He is in charge of the Anti Terrorism Squad in the state. The villains include everyone from militants to politicians and even the men in uniform.

HIGHS: Suresh Gopi. No denying this, he looks best as a cop!

LOWS: The hangover of earlier films in the genre, like Commissioner, for instance.

Verdict: 2 out of 5

SAGAR ALIAS JACKY-RELOADED

Director: Amal Neerad

Cast: Mohanlal, Bhavana, Sobhana

DID YOU KNOW? S N Swami – K Madhu team’s Irupatham Noottandu got released in 1987. The hero of the film was Sagar Alias Jacky, a dignified underworld don, played by Mohanlal. Now Sagar or Mohanlal is back in Sagar Alias Jacky reloaded, directed by Amal Neerad. It is not a sequel, but only the character reappears in style.

RAPID REVIEW: Sagar Alias Jacky reloaded had to live up to huge expectations, as the old saga is still lingering in the minds of all. But the new version is perhaps more about leather jackets, slow motion sequences, sepia colored frames and opulence. If you’re looking for a film based on a gripping script, Sagar Alias Jacky reloaded is not in your menu. It’s a hardcore entertainer with mindless action and style, but could have been more entertaining if it had a more imaginative script.

HIGHS: The visuals and style.

LOWS: The script. Or the absence of it.

Verdict: 2 out of 5