Recall the `Kantaben` episode in Karan Johar`s Kal Ho Naa Ho. The episode is alive even today, in skits, on stage, amongst friends. That was a mere trailer. Picture abhi baaki hain. Dostana takes `Kantaben` episode to another level altogether.

Dostana is no BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. It`s not a serious take on homosexuality either. On the contrary, it`s a madcap comedy where two straight men pretend to be gays. Although Dostana is a mainstream commercial film, it dares to push the envelope in its own way. It brings homosexuality out of the closet, gives it respect and dignity and doesn`t treat gays as `abnormal`.

Love triangle in Hindi movies often centre around two guys falling in love with the same girl, or two girls choosing to love the same guy. But Dostana is a first. It`s the first Hindi film that, at the core, is a rectangle [three men loving the same woman], but two of them, guys in this case, pretend to be a couple.

Sure, Dostana has ample shock-value since what has been witnessed in its promos is barely a fraction of what you`d get to watch in the movie. But more than shock-value, the film offers loads of fun-n-laughter and dollops of entertainment in those 14 reels.

A word of appreciation! It requires courage to fund a project like Dostana. Karan Johar, the producer, deserves to be lauded for treading the untrodden path. It requires courage and conviction to swim against the tide in your directorial debut. Tarun Mansukhani, the debutante, deserves a few brownie points extra for not thinking straight. It requires courage for two A-list actors to go all out and risk their professional [and personal] lives. Abhishek and John deserve an ovation for not only agreeing to play these characters, but also infusing life in them, without making a mockery of the gay community.

To cut a long story short, Dostana is not to be missed. Dharma Productions, the late Yash Johar and Karan Johar`s film production outfit, has produced several significant films in the past. Add Dostana to the list!

Miami is the setting for Dostana. When Sameer [Abhishek Bachchan] and Kunal [John Abraham] are turned down for an apartment because the landlady [Sushmita Mukherjee] doesn`t want two strapping young men to corrupt her young sexy niece Neha [Priyanka Chopra], they hatch a plan: they pretend to be gay to secure the apartment.

Over a period of time, Sameer, Kunal and Neha become buddies. When Neha`s boss Abhimanyu [Bobby Deol] enters the fray as the third contender for her affections, it gets even hotter...

Dostana shocks you all the while and that is its biggest USP. Don`t expect stereotypical situations or characters all through this film. Watch Abhishek cook up a romantic story between John and him in Venice. Watch Boman Irani`s interaction with Abhishek and John. Watch Kirron Kher`s dramatic entry at this point. Howlarious scenes all, they`re sure to bring the house down.

If the first hour is laced with crackling chemistry between the guys and terrific humour, things get serious towards the second half since there`s one more person vying for Priyanka`s attention -- Bobby Deol. There`s humour in this hour too, but the focus is mainly on who`d get Priyanka in the end.

The length is a slight deterrent in the second half and the editor could`ve easily cut the unwanted flab to make the narration in shape. But the film works as a package! Also, the film has a shocking end and people are bound to raise eyebrows. It would have its share of advocates and adversaries. A debatable culmination, for sure!

Director Tarun Mansukhani is here to stay. He deserves kudos for choosing an offbeat story, then making a foolproof screenplay and most importantly, executing it with flourish. Dostana merges form and content beautifully, since the film is, technically speaking, sound. Ayananka Bose`s cinematography is top notch. The locales of Miami are a feast for your eyes. Costumes and styling are very upmarket.

Vishal-Shekhar`s music goes well with the mood of the film. It`s young, peppy and energetic. `Desi Girl` and `Maa Da Laadla Bigad Gaya` are foot-tapping compositions. The latter is bound to be a rage!

Both Abhishek and John are fantabulous! Abhishek pulls out all the stops and delivers one of the finest performances of his career. His comic timing is superb! John will make guys and girls drool over his amazing physique. But, most importantly, people will sit up and notice how fine an actor John is. Both Abhishek and John compliment each other so well. In fact, had the chemistry and camaraderie been missing, the story would`ve failed to look convincing. Two thumbs up for these two guys!

Priyanka looks stunning and delivers a first-rate performance. First FASHION, now Dostana, Priyanka is back with a bang. Bobby Deol lends the required class to his role. No other actor would`ve looked so real while underplaying this character.

Boman Irani is sure to bring the house down, the auditorium is sure to resonate with laughter in his sequences. Kirron Kher is superb as the Punjabi mom. Watch her throw a fit when she learns that her son [Abhishek] is gay and much later, when she accepts John as family. She`s remarkable! Sushmita Mukherjee, as Priyanka`s aunt, is fantastic. She`s so, so funny. Shilpa Shetty sizzles in the opening track.

On the whole, Dostana is a winner all the way. In terms of content, it might just prove to be a trendsetter. In terms of business, the film holds tremendous appeal for the youth. The 16 to 25 age-group would go into raptures and bonkers over this film. Its business at multiplexes mainly will be amazing. In Overseas too, the film should emerge amongst the biggest draws of 2008. Dostana rocks... have a blast!

Source : oneIndia

After taking up the mighty supernatural powers before Hellboy and his crew is hitting the screens again. The trailer looks promissing for all the hellboy additcts. bepenfriends movie blogs brings you the Hell boy II the golden army Trailer

Starring: Prithviraj, Prakash Raj, Gopika, Lakshmi Rai, M.S. Bhaskar, Sampath, Srikanth and others.

Direction: Viji

Music: G V Prakash

Cinematography: Panneerselvam

Production: Prakash Raj

A witty satire of the perils of stardom in Indian cinema. Though Vellithriai, the Tamil remake of Malayalam’s Udayananu Tharam, lacks the original’s brilliant touches, it is still entertaining to an extent. Vellithirai brings back the successful duo of Prakash Raj – Prithviraj together and the combination works well, if not as superbly as the legendary Mohan Lal - Srinivasan combo in `Udhayananu Tharam`. Saravanan (Prithviraj) is a struggling assistant director. He lives in Kodambakam, where there are several other hopefuls and wannabes: friends and rivals struggling together. Saravanan’s dream is to make his own film and he has a foolproof scheme to achieve this goal: write a sure-fire script and insist on directing it himself. His roommate, Kannayan (Prakash Raj) a sly, struggling and untalented actor hatches a plot to steal the script, pass it off on his own, and insist on being the star of the film. One day Saravanan pitches his story to Trisha (playing herself) and is shocked to discover that Trisha already knows the story. His dreams shattered, he turns to the famous actress Mythili (Gopika), for help. Can Saravanan outwit Kannayan who has now become a big star?

We won’t elaborate more on the plot that takes interesting turns except to say that the climax borrows from the Hollywood satire about moviemaking, Bowfinger. Prakash Raj in an interview to The Hindu said, “Don’t call it a remake. Call it an inspiration.” The Tamil keeps the outline of the original’s plot but changes many details, including the dialogue, which is written with an eye to a Tamil audience. Vellitherai deftly satirizes commercial cinema: and in the process indicting Indian stars and their nearly fascistic behavior on and off a film set. The most pointed dialogue is when Prakash Raj says to his friend, `Mustafa turning into Hanuman is possible only in tinsel town`. The satirical portions in the film have been crafted deftly, especially the scene between director and star about the absurd age factor of Indian movie heroes. Prithviraj is wonderful in this role. He doesn’t stereotype the struggling artist but gives the character doubt, integrity, and compassion. Prakash Raj is flamboyant and complex as the bad actor who has to act to save his life. A challenge for any actor: how does a good actor play a bad one? His over the top stylish makeover as the star in the second half may make him look funny, but that is the point: to make fun of this pompous man. Gopika as expected is quite natural. Though the film’s focus on the personal problems of a heroine makes for good viewing, her extended mushy act does get a bit tiresome.

Everyone in Vellitherai has worked hard to make this resemble a movie about a movie as much as possible. M.S. Bhaskar playing the manager’s role, and Charlie as production manager illustrate this best. Cinematography by Paneerselvam is top notch. One of G.V.Praskash’s melodies is really foot tapping: `Kanavugal` canned at several beautiful locations is a visual treat. But his background score does leave lot to be desired.

The choreography and sets for the songs are tasteful, even ironic. They are at once mocking and sincere, suggesting that commercial cinema is always a compromise: something a serious filmmaker like Saravanan is forced to contend with on his road to success. Viji, the debuting director, who had earlier scored handsomely for his dialogues in movies like Mozhi and Azhagiya Theeya, seems to be learning the ropes in the direction front. Climax for one could have been shaped up better. Overall, movies about movies are rare enough in Tamil cinema and a new addition to the genre is always welcome and the attempt is much appreciated.

Verdict: Good, but not as good as the original

Source : http://www.tamilcinenews.blogspot.com/2008/03/vellithirai-review.html

The origin of the SPECIES - and I'm not talking Darwinism here…or maybe I am - began with a new, nubile and nude Natasha Henstridge rousing every male genre fan's unanswered libido as Sil, the Sexual Terrestrial who made first contact, second contact and then some with various human males. Sil had some very close encounters of the coitus kind searching for the perfect mate to copulate with - and kill. Talk about your one-night stands. Speaking of Darwin, I can't help but make reference to his survival of the fittest theory - for that is not only every female alien's desire in the resulting movie series, but it actually applies to these films. This sexual SF saga should have ended after the original, which I actually enjoyed: Ben (Call Me "Sir") Kingsley and breasts in an alien-on-the-rampage flick - you had me at Kingsley! But its box-office success spawned (no pun intended) a big-screen follow-up with Henstridge, then a direct-to-DVD sequel with Sunny Mabrey taking over the lead role. Both were unnecessary, and followed the template of the first film, with the redeeming element of excessive nudity drawing horny genre fans like a bra-less Jeri Ryan at an SF convention.

The SPECIES franchise is basically softcore, Cinemax-After-Dark genre porn. I'm a genre fan myself, but there's something weird about getting your rocks off while watching chicks turning into aliens, ample cleavage or not. SPECIES - THE AWAKENING's Helena Mattsson is the latest blonde bombshell to essay another alien on the hunt for a mate and some murder, but at this point in time, I'm so fatigued by the formula that I wish these horny hybrids would try Internet dating and just cut to the chase. The verse-chorus-verse of hot alien babe eager to do the horizontal bop with a guy in order to produce a child is so old by now that the filmmakers should start looking for COCOON-esque pods in pools to rejuvenate the series. I'll give them Wilfred Brimley's number.

There's one reason why SPECIES films are still made, and that's because they make money. Gordon Gekko may believe that greed is good, but that doesn't translate to good filmmaking. While Mattsson is easy on the eyes and the movie was made with a certain degree of competency, SPECIES - THE AWAKENING (debuting on the Sci Fi Channel this Saturday, September 29 ahead of its DVD release next Tuesday, October 2) is day-old bread. Give me something fresh, please! I will grant director Nick Lyon and scripter Ben Ripley (who also penned the third installment) some credit, and recognize that they tried to take the series in a different and more sympathetic direction, but there's only so much you can do when you're dealing with a mimeograph machine.

The story this time around has University professor Miranda (Mattsson) discovering that she's an alien after metamorphosing, murdering a dude and waking up naked the next day (haven't we all had nights like that?). Her uncle Tom (no Harriet Beecher Stowe jokes, please) explains to her that he's not so avuncular (I love that word, but is there one for aunt-like qualities?), and actually created her as an extraterrestrial hybrid with some of his scientific buddies. Ben Cross plays Tom, and is miscast in the role; he's supposed to be essaying a remorseful, caring man who wants to help Miranda, but his performance comes across as distant and cold. I've seen more emotion in Al Gore.

There isn't as much nudity this time out, which might cause some science friction with fans who want more skin and less sci-fi, or horror enthusiasts who crave more breasts than blood. But Mattsson does a nice job with her role - she's not just some foreign supermodel with a pretty face spitting out dialogue. This entry is more about angst than anger, which is one of its redeeming qualities. Miranda wants to quell her instincts, not pursue them. Another attraction is the addition of Marlene Favela as the villainous hybrid who serves as Miranda's antagonist. Come the third act, there's some serious girl-on-girl action - but this being a SPECIES film, that involves hot-chicks-turned-aliens getting it on in violent fashion, fighting more viciously than Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck on THE VIEW.

If you're an SF-horror fan who's a sucker for sequels, you'll watch this on Sci Fi. If you're an SF-horror fan who's a sucker for sequels with celebrity skin, you'll rent the unrated DVD (on which the movie looks and sounds very slick, though there are no special features). There are many more films worse than SPECIES - THE AWAKENING, but there are many more that are better. I would suggest skipping this AWAKENING and instead reading Kate Chopin's THE AWAKENING, which is also about a woman looking for the perfect mate. There aren't any aliens or graphic sex scenes in that story, but I expect you'll enjoy it more.

Yet another feather on Harry Potter's triology, Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix is releasing on July 13 2007. Just another 8 days from today. it will be great fun for all harry potter fans and all kids will be delighted to view Harry Potter and his friends Ron andHermonie gringer on screen fighting evils. Warner Bros. again produced this movie with more CGI effects with lots of money poured into it.

Watch the trailer of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Movie

It can't get bigger than this – Rajnikanth, the real superstar and style king, and Shankar the showman of Tamil cinema, coming together for the first time in Sivaji. The good news is that this awesome combo is able to whip up an entertainment extravaganza that is delicious and good to savour.

The moot question is: does the Rajnikanth-Shankar combination measure up to the stratospheric expectation of their fans? The answer is that it does - to a very large extent, as it has the freshness and novelty in the coming together of two giants of the industry. As a film, it acts as the vital bridge between the old Rajni films and new commercial packaging that makes Shankar tick with the generation next audience.

Rajnikanth has never looked so good on screen with his stylised look and presentation, body language, mannerisms and dialogue delivery. Shankar has been able to get the right balance in a tightrope walk between Rajni's larger-than-life image and the changing taste of today's mass multiplex audience without losing his famous touch. In short, Shankar has given us a more peppy and upmarket Rajni that is sure to work with today's youth audience.

There is only one hero here, as in all Rajnikanth films- Rajni himself. Such is the overpowering screen presence of his cinematic charisma in every frame of the film. The film works big time as Shankar has made the film on a grand scale, in a riot of colours, lavish song picturisation, which is a visual treat with superbly choreographed action scenes. All this comes with top-of-the line techno-finesse, perhaps the best ever in Tamil cinema.

Sivaji (Rajnikanth) comes back from US with big dreams of doing something good for his fellowmen, mainly free education and medical care. He wants to set up `Sivaji University` but our corrupt system, greedy politicians and red tapism stand in his way. Sivaji’s right-hand man is his Mama (Vivek) who not only helps him with his dream project but also finds him a perfect match in Tamilselvi (Shriya).

Sivaji faces opposition from Adhiseshan (Suman), a kingmaker, businessman and educationist who runs a successful medical college and hospital. After realising that nothing works in our corrupt system, Sivaji succumbs to pressure and bribes the entire bureaucracy to start his pet project. Adhi crosses swords with Sivaji and is determined to sabotage the project and he succeeds in bringing our hero to the street. Now it is the turn of our superman hero to strike back. How he does it with just one rupee forms the rest of the story.

Technically, ‘Sivaji’ is a revelation. In case you feel that it has a predictable story, then there are stunning visuals, which is paisa vasool. K.V.Anand's cinematography is top class. Art director Thotta Tharani work is enticing, especially the sets in songs. Musically the film is a treat, as Rahman has given his best in recent times. Song picturisation, like in all Shankar films, is out-of-the world and what really keeps the viewer hooked, is the packaging and the way it is picturised.

Every song is a visual treat, with Vaaji … and Sahaana… adding glitz to the proceedings. The Style song shot in Spain with where Rajni is shown as a white man is mesmerising, though the much hyped Ballelakka.. number reminds you of the manner in which Andankakka in Anniyan was shot. Thotta Tharani's sets enrich the proceedings. Manish Malhotra’s costumes, especially the suits and denims suit Rajni to the T.

On the downside, there is nothing new story-wise. Shankar has rehashed his pet theme of a one-man crusader who cleans the society of the scum of the earth, which was seen in his earlier socio-commercial fantasies like Gentleman and Muthalvan. There is a sense of déjà vu- as you have seen similar plots too often from his stable. The script is too thin on logic. There are far too many banal dialogues and familiar homilies and messages, associated with a Shankar film, are thrust in and at times the pace is too sluggish, especially in the first half.

The action scenes are well choreographed by Peter Hayne. The two fights in the first half are done in typical Jackie Chan style with the emphasis being to provide light hearted comedy. The climax fight between 'Motta' Sivaji and Adhi is adrenaline pumping with gravity defying 'Matrix' style visual effects. The graphic work in Style and Athiradi songs is mind-boggling.

Shriya has given an outstanding performance. Body language, glances, expression.... you name it and she has it all. She looks bewitching and has enough scope to perform. Suman’s new look as the suave, polished Adhi is perfect foil for Rajni as he does not go overboard and utters only a few words. Vivek has equal footage with Rajni and some of his one-liners are really whacky and hilarious, especially when he takes a dig at young heroes who have taken a leaf out of the superstar by mouthing punch lines and aping his mannerisms.

Though this is a film without any punch lines associated with Rajni films, a “Pera ketta chumma Adhirudhilla.. or “Cool” could drive his fans into a frenzy. Please note that for the first time, there are a lot of English dialogues for Rajni, keeping the global audiences in mind. The comedy in the first half is rollicking and the surprise packet is the ‘Motta’ Rajni who comes in the climax.

Go for it… It is entertainment guaranteed.

MovieBuzz

Nothing could be bigger than this in Tamil Cinema. AVM's Production, Super Star Rajinikanth, director Shankar and A.R.Rahman's music. Sivaji is definitely the biggest film in Tamil Cinema. The audio of such a huge film has been released on April 2nd. I expected a lot from this audio, feeling this should be the best, but it sounds just good to me and nothing more.

I rate the songs normally based on how good they sound in FM radio played in my bus. Trust me, many songs I hated have become my favorites after I listened to them in my bus, so that's my benchmark. :-P

I am writing about the songs in the order of my favorites. And for the claim that Rahman's music is slow poison and all that, I am writing this review after listening to the songs lots of times in past 3 days.

Vaaji Vaaji - Hariharan, Madhushree

This I would say is the best song of the album and clearly shows Rahman is still around and is not gone as some critics claim. The music, lyrics, chorus and lead vocals are simply excellent. Hariharan is awesome with his energy of rendition while Madhushree is just okay. Though this is much better than dozens of songs where she had muttered and whined in a horrible voice doing a massacre of Tamil, I still feel Sujatha or Sadhana Sargam would have done more justice to this song. Nevertheless, a great song. Poombaavaai Aambal Aambal; Punnagayo Mowval Mowval piece is superb.

Sahana Saaral - Udit Narayan, Chinmayi

My next favourite, a brilliant song with its own share of negatives. There is a saying in Tamil Korangu kaila poomalai. That is what Rahman has done by making Udit Narayan sing this song. But for Udit Narayan's voice this would have been a fantastic song. One cannot blame Udit Narayan, only Rahman is responsible for this. Is there lack of good singers in Tamil? Why give such a wonderful song to Udit, who in an attempt to get Tamil pronunciation right and sing in a high scale messes up with both. It looks like he is moaning with pain. Chinmayi on the other hand is awesome and saves the song entirely. Nothing so great about the lyrics. part of the prelude music is exactly the same as the one in Kalyaana Then Nila from Mounam Sammadham.

Sahara Pookal - Vijay Yesudas, Gomathi Sri

This is a pathos version of the above song. Superb again. Vijay Yesudas is undeniably the singer of the year with a lot of hits to his credit and he showcases his brilliance in this song too. It makes me wonder even after hearing this voice, what made Rahman credit the other version of this song to Udit Narayan. Vijay Yesudas would have been really the best choice for the other version too. The song has just a pallavi followed by Maale Manivanna Thiruppavai verse rendered by Gomathi Sri. Her voice is not childish as mentioned in the Rediff review. On the contrary, it sounds too matured, that I wonder if it will be filmed on a middle aged Iyengar maami in the film :-P

Balleilakka - SPB, Raihanah

The typical Rajinikanth intro song, this time the super star will mouth great lines about Traditional Tamil culture rather than lines of inspiration. Nicely written song and executed with great music, who else can complete the loop other than SPB? Proving yet again he is the best to render intro songs for the superstar, he sings with such an energy that would put even the youngest singers to shame. Rahana provides the required vocal support. I cannot help myself from getting reminded of Devuda Devuda from Chandramukhi every time I listen to this song. If picturised well, this would be the song of this year.

If all songs are good, then why did I say the album is just good? Here comes the list of disappointments.

Athiradee - A.R. Rahman, Sayanora

This is a peppy dance number. It stars off well, just starts off, after that its total disaster with respect to lyrics and Rahman's unnecessary heavy throated rendition. I feel any other singer like Ranjith would have done a better job. It has reference to many of Rajini's previous movie titles. The retro style Guitar strains in the interludes are nice and the female lead Sayanora(Philips) has done a great job. There are no lyrics in the song infact, it is just a string of lots of words put together. Wishing the song should be visual delight atleast.

The Boss - Blaaze, Naresh Iyer & Raqueeb Alam

The theme song that sounds like Paatshaala from Rang De Basanti. The lyrics are nothing but the punch dialogues of Rajini, which might appear in the film too. But they does not sound like Rajini's punches, but more like those of T.Rajendar. There is nothing wrong with the vocals or music in this song. Its all great. But the lyrics which are supposed to be soul of this theme song are so stupid and awkward.

Oru Koodai Sunlight - Rags, Blaaze, Tanvi & Suresh Peters

The famous song that did rounds as promos with the lead pair sporting all awkward makeup and hairstyles. It carries the great message on Karuupu and Sevappu that is a part of all recent Rajini film songs. Other than the Spanish lines, techno beats, Style chorus and the singing by Tanvi, there is nothing much to write about this song. Why the hell is the song written in horrible Tamil if it has to sound so westernized? And even then, why such horrible male voices are chosen to sing the song?? Only Shankar and Rahman can answer. Its not singing, to be harsh, it sounds like shouting from a constipated person.

Overall, this is a good album, but I would rate it as the last among Shankar's music albums till date. My rating would be 7.5/10.

P.S: For anti-piracy activists, I am yet to grab an audio CD of my own. Will get it this weekend, the review is based on numerous hearings of the songs from various FM stations of Chennai. I don't have a pirated copy of the songs in my PC.

http://centumsrini.blogspot.com

Sam Raimi and his co-writers Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent apparently adopted the more is better approach with what could be Raimi’s final film of the Spider-Man franchise. The desire to include more villains, more action, and more romance gave birth to a Spider-Man 3 bloated with unfulfilling storylines, underdeveloped characters, and a film that’s literally all over the place. It's sort of fun, but not the Spider-Man film we've come to expect from Raimi and company.

The Many Stories

Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) gets her name in lights and Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is right there supporting his woman, clapping and singing and preparing himself to pop the question. But there’s trouble brewing in their relationship as MJ gets dumped from her Broadway show and wants someone to listen to her whine, and Peter’s not fulfilling his duties as a sounding board. Instead he’s busy soaking in all the adoration being lavished on Spider-Man by the citizens of New York.

Meanwhile Harry (James Franco) still wants revenge for his father’s death at Spider-Man’s hands. After a sweet chase scene in and out of the streets and alleyways, the New Goblin develops a medical condition and for a while everything is hunky-dory. But things don’t stay that way…

While Peter’s dealing with Harry and MJ, Flint Marko escapes from prison bent on helping his sick daughter. In a strange twist of events, he’s chased into a particle physics chamber and becomes Sandman. Then to make things even more complicated for poor Peter, a new photographer named Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) shows up at The Daily Bugle and wants Peter’s job – something that doesn’t sit well with the normally even-tempered Parker. And speaking of Parker’s easygoing personality, a black goopy thing crawls out of a meteor which just happens to land right next to where Peter and MJ are making out. After hitching a ride on Peter’s scooter, the gooey substance attaches itself to Peter, turning Spider-Man’s red and blue suit black. It also turns Mr Average Geeky Guy into an arrogant, self-centered creep.

So, let’s recap: We’ve got Peter’s romance with MJ on the rocks, Eddie trying to hone in on Peter’s job, Sandman causing chaos and robbing banks, Harry wanting Peter dead for killing his dad, and an outer space hitchhiker screwing with Peter/Spider-Man’s personality. What’s missing? A love triangle introduced in the shapely form of Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard). And, of course, Venom - the villain Spidey fans love and who doesn't get nearly enough screen time in Spider-Man 3.

The Good in spider man 3

The action sequences are, for the most part, spectacular. The fight scenes live up to the standards set by the previous Spider-Man films, yet it’s when Raimi allows Maguire as Parker a few quiet moments to reflect on life that the film really comes close to matching Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 in tone. Maguire has grown into the part and Spider-Man 3, while not the best of the lot, features his best performance of the series. The same can be said of James Franco who redeems himself after a series of bad film choices (Flyboys, Annapolis) by making Harry into a multi-layered character such as we haven’t seen in the previous two outings.

Bruce Campbell steals the film as a French restaurateur who tries to help Peter pop the question. Topher Grace and Thomas Haden Church are also terrific, with the totally buffed up Haden Church selling the part of a desperate dad without the benefit of much dialogue. Grace is given a lot to say and as the film’s comic relief, he seems right at home spewing one-liners and lightening the mood.

The Bad in spider man 3

Spider-Man 2’s Doc Ock set the bar high for villains and neither Venom nor Sandman come close to achieving what Alfred Molina pulled off. Venom’s underutilized and Sandman’s just not an interesting foe. Sure, he’s big and sandy and the effects look awesome, but either I missed something or the rules on how to deal with him change as the film plays out which is very frustrating for someone not familiar with the comic books.

Bryce Dallas Howard is pretty however her Gwen Stacy got the short end of the stick when it came to character development. But at least there is a real spark between Howard and Maguire, which can’t be said of Dunst and Maguire onscreen. The total lack of chemistry this time out is startlingly apparent, and Dunst’s MJ isn’t even fun to watch (or listen to). MJ’s too needy in Spider-Man 3 and it’s a real downer when she’s onscreen.

Some Spidey fans are going to love it when Peter Parker breaks out in his best John Travolta/Saturday Night Fever impersonation, but seeing the beloved character disco dance his way down the streets was unnerving and completely silly. And when Peter hits the dance floor to strut his stuff, Raimi pushed things too far. It’s corny and out of place, and a really bizarre way of showing the character’s darker side. Actually, other than a scene with Grace, the whole depiction of Parker’s inner battle is bland. Most of it’s done by having Maguire part his hair on the other side and let a few wisps hang down in his face, while flirting with various women in a totally harmless manner. The 'evil' turn Parker takes doesn't get dark enough.

Another major disappointment is the ending of Spider-Man 3. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King just barely got away with multiple endings, but Spider-Man 3 doesn’t pull it off. There’s a terrific - and appropriate - ending, and then there’s two more tacked onto that. Enough already!

The Bottom Line of spider man 3

Spider-Man 2 is one of my all-time favorite comic book-inspired films. Spider-Man 3 doesn’t even rank in the top 10. The first Spider-Man did a fantastic job of telling the origin story. I’ve never picked up a comic book and with Spider-Man I understood the hows and whys of the webslinger. Spider-Man was fun. With Spider-Man 2 Raimi allowed us inside Peter Parker’s head, delivering an emotionally gripping story along with a few incredible action scenes. But Spider-Man 3 is crammed full of mini-plots, most of which aren't allowed to play out completely. Even 140 minutes isn’t long enough to do justice to three villains, a love triangle, and a Peter Parker who takes a walk on the wild side.

Spider-Man 3 is critic-proof and will no doubt make a ton of cash, but it doesn’t deliver enough bang for the buck. The film actually leaves you hoping Raimi and Maguire will return for one more shot at making the definitive Spider-Man movie, because 3 isn’t it.

Grade: C+

Source : About.com

The title of "300," the new piece of Hollywood action porn, refers to the number of Spartan warriors who futilely but audaciously took on the Persians oh-so many centuries ago. But that number could also represent the number of stars many of the exhilarated boys would give this movie upon exiting -- "boy" being a state of mind, of course. I'm inclined to give 298 fewer. Then, sadly, I'm no longer the sort of lad who goes for souped-up remixes of, say, "Gladiator."

For fans of the Frank Miller-Lynn Varley graphic novel from which "300" has been adapted, the movie parks itself in the big manly wheelhouse of lots of filmgoers. But there's a stale, synthetic airlessness about the movie. Imagine a large cast trapped in a series of spectacular screensavers. It could be ancient Greece. It could be somebody's hard drive.

Either way, the film never feels like more than an exercise, for the filmmakers and the actors. They appear to have spent the entire production at whatever gym Hercules went to. Indeed, if you happen to enjoy spending almost two hours watching a bunch of worked-out UK thespians battle for the survival of Hellenism in only sandals, leather codpieces, and vermilion capes, run don't walk.

Written by Kurt Johnstad, Michael B. Gordon, and the director Zach Snyder, whose other movie is 2004's "Dawn of the Dead" remake, "300" brings us the mythic Battle of Thermopylae -- also known as the Hot Gates -- as narrated in a spirited storybook manner by the Spartan battler Dilios (David Wenham, an Australian).

There, in 480 BC, the Spartans try to hold off what they think is a million or so Persian invaders from entering central Greece. Sparta's King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) defies the will of the Greek people and the governing council, leading his men to their legendary doom. While Leonidas and his men are off bludgeoning for valor, his wife, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), remains behind both to ward off the leering insinuations of Theron (Dominic West), a scheming politico, and to urge the government to commit more troops to back her husband.

The brawling sequences have a kind of visual awesomeness. Scenes of the men slashing and impaling each other, while muscle rock plays on the soundtrack, are usually chaotically edited, but occasionally the frame slows so that the maneuvering and stabbing and leaping and linebacking operate at a dreamy clip. It's as if everybody is slaughtering everybody else underwater. (There's a sex scene that seems shot at the same speed, but the brawls are less ludicrous.)

Blending digital fakery with real athleticism, these are show-stopping sequences that deserve an ovation for the technicians, stunt coordinators, and production-design team who've brought them off. When the men aren't fighting, though, the movie is almost dead. Boredom builds up between the artificial opera of the battles like plaque.

The movie needs more of the campy bluster the Scottish Butler injects into a few scenes. Once, he chomps on an apple atop of a pile of massacred Persians. He's like Sean Connery doing Robert Duvall in "Apocalypse Now" in a chicer version of the costume Connery wore in "Zardoz." Butler gives us a flash of hunky, clunky Richard Egan in 1962's " The 300 Spartans," too. Otherwise, the movie is busy trumpeting such abstract principles as Glory, Duty, and Destiny, in speeches roared by the cast as though Herodotus himself had written them.

It's a testament to the inherent cinematic depth of Miller's graphic novels that the movies based on them are so vicariously dull. "Sin City" was like watching your buddy get a lap dance. "300" is often like watching that buddy play a video game. There's no room to breath but plenty of time to wait. And nothing seems approachably real. Even the blood is digital.

Much has been made of the allegorical potential of "300." Could Leonidas be some President Bush stand-in? Might the Persians be, well, the current Middle East? The movie could be all things to all people. For me, the fight is unfair. "300" is about a bunch of hot white metrosexuals -- those pecs, those abs, that hair -- against a million freaky nonwhite club kids. In other words, the gays. King Xerxes's hangout is full hookah-puffers, derelicts, and girls making it with girls (let's call them lesbians). His army is full of monsters seemingly from the Troma Films creature shop.

The dreaded Xerxes himself (Rodrigo Santoro) appears to be a 9-foot-tall Yul Brynner . His skin glitters. His head is totally shaved. His nails are manicured. His body is pierced and gold chains run from his scalp to his ankles. It's Yul, the mystical Miami nightclub version! During their big mano-a-mano attempt at negotiation, Xerxes tells Leonidas nothing would bring him more pleasure than for the Greek king to kneel down before him in submission. Leonidas recoils. So did the dudes next to me in the theater when Xerxes started to make his move.

According to this outrageously flagrant movie, the Spartans didn't just die for Glory, Duty, and Destiny. They died to keep the Hot Gates from turning into another gay disco.

Source Boston movie blogs

Writer-Director Gautham Menon, who single handedly, generated our fascination for his films characteristic of style and substance, has made another fabulous film Pachchaikili Muthucharam.

It is a beautifully crafted tale of romance, treachery, struggle, intrigue and action. What makes this movie resounding is its social relevance. Many incidents in this movie make you feel that you can also get caught in the web of deceit. The movie, punctuated by shimmering images, electric visuals, and vibrant directorial fireworks, promises complete entertainment worth the time you expend sitting in the theater.

Here goes the story...

Set in the backdrop of a suburban area near Chennai, it tells the story of Venkatesh (Sarath Kumar), a medical representative. He settles down to a cozy domestic life with his wife Kalyani (Andrea) and a six-year-old son Nanda. With no big desires, demands or needs, Venkatesh maintains his status quo by doing his 9 to 5 job with complete satisfaction.

His happy life takes a jerk when his son is diagnosed for juvenile diabetics. Unable to bare the trauma, Kalyani finds it difficult to cope with the changed circumstances. Venkatesh tries hard to bring her to normalcy and explains her that life should go on notwithstanding the setbacks. However, gradually, their sparkling life looses its luster.

At this juncture Geeta (Jyothika) meets Venkatesh in a train and attracted by his gentleness and naivety, turns him into an object of desire. Things change dramatically when she brings Venkatesh to a resort and there starts a dangerous adventure. How Venkatesh comes out of the web is narrated interestingly in the remaining part of the movie.

Everyone in the cast deserves praise. Sarath has donned quite a variety of roles, including those of cops and wielder of power and authority, in his long acting career. But in his role in "Pachchaikili..." as a next-door-family-man Sarath Kumar has excelled. Nowhere, do you feel that he carries the lead man status and that is the testimony to his versatility.

Jyothika is terrific as ever, with her magical grip over every scene. Mumbai model Milind Suman, whom Gautham described as a "surprise find", in his very first film in Tamil, holds the audience enthralled with his menacing looks and free style acting.

Andrea is utterly persuasive as a housewife. She wonderfully sustains and enlivens the poignant drama. She makes most of her theater experience and what she brings to every scene with Venkatesh, tells you much of what you need to know about the best that can happen between a man and a woman.

Harris Jayaraj has rendered pleasant and skillful music, which adds fizz to the whole fare. Action choreographed by Stunt Siva is realistic.

The film may have a divided audience. Some of them can dismiss this movie as preposterous for its lengthy climax and at times dull situations. However, Pachchaikili Muthucharam with its evocative aura and warmly attractive look (with cinematography by Arvind Krishna), sustains the interest till the end, and lends itself to a debate on the moral issues it means to raise.

source : Nowrunning.com

As Dr. Seuss' Grinch said, "One thing I can't stand is the noise, noise, noise, noise!" That's mostly what Ben Stiller and company have to offer with his latest comedy, Night at the Museum, the story of a night watchman dealing with dinosaur skeletons, statues and wax figures that come to life at a museum. Stretched to greater length than its thin idea merits, the movie mainly is a collection of slapstick vignettes as Stiller battles Attila the Hun, a mischievous monkey, tiny cowboys and Roman soldiers and other figures from museum exhibits.

Other than the basic plot point of inanimate creatures coming alive and some occasionally inventive visual effects, Night at the Museum is unimaginative and annoying, as movies by director Shawn Levy (Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther) often are. And did we mention the movie makes a lot of noise? Stiller is stiffer and blander than usual, and the comic talents of Levy's decent supporting cast, including Steve Coogan and Ricky Gervais, generally are wasted.

Robin Williams provides a few chuckles as the bullheaded incarnation of a wax figure of Teddy Roosevelt, though the laughs come more from seeing him in Rough Riders costume than from anything in the dopey script by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. Stiller plays divorced dad and all-around failure Larry Daley, whose schemes and dreams of making his mark as an entrepreneur have fallen through. Facing eviction and hoping to show his young son Nick (Jake Cherry) that he can be a responsible father, Larry takes a job as night security guard at New York's Museum of Natural History.

Larry gets his sketchy training from the three old coots he's replacing, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobb, all sorely wasted in a lame subplot.His first night alone in the museum, Larry is chased by a tyrannosaur skeleton, ticks off Attila (Patrick Gallagher) and encounters Indian guide Sacajawea (Mizuo Peck). He also has a Gulliver-and-the-Lilliputians experience with tiny Mayan warriors, Roman soldiers commanded by Coogan and Old West figures led by Stiller's buddy Owen Wilson in an uncredited role as a cowboy.

The filmmakers toss in some conflict with the museum's uptight boss (Gervais) and a budding romance with a doctoral student (Carla Gugino). Stiller's mom, Anne Meara, also pops up in a brief role.With Roosevelt as mentor, Larry must learn how to ride herd on his charges and ultimately rally the museum's denizens to foil a sinister plot that threatens them all.As with Williams' 1995 comedy Jumanji, the special effects are the real stars of Night at the Museum, though they're not all that special.Young kids, the main target audience of this adaptation of Milan Trenc's illustrated children's book, won't mind that the effects aren't up to snuff, and they'll likely find plenty to laugh at in the action sequences.

Their parents will just have to sit and suffer.Still, if you've ever wanted to see a prehistoric man hurl fire-extinguisher foam in Stiller's face, this could be your only chance.Unless, of course, the movie's a hit, and Stiller makes a sequel.Oh, the noise, noise, noise, noise!

Source : ndtvmovies

Ashwaroodtan - a truck load of rubbish

There is a limit, they say, for everything. I don't know if our filmmakers have heard it or pretending ignorance or the very likely reason trying to take the viewers for a ride. Whatever it is,a string of movies on similar lines nd I am... What does Jayaraj think of he people watching this movie ?That we are dimwits? That sugar-coating crap would run into packed houses? If that was his thought, then I am sorry Mr Director - we are a socity which boasts of 100% literacy not for nothing. There is something called awareness and if you think you can pack your 2 plus hour of sheer stupidity and present it before us expecting it to repeat a 'Four the people'(which was clearly undeserved), I would rather prefer you dumpng the reels in your trash can.

I am no Suresh Gopi fan; In fact I am just the opposite nd I am not an avid watcher of his brand of movies. I can sit through the whole BharathChandran IPS sleeping even when the entire theatre might roar, shout or go frenzy over his fiery dialogues .The reason for me to see this movie? Jayaraj and my hope that having worked with him in movies like Kaliyattam nd Paithrukam, Suresh Gopi might actually have some acting to do nd Jayaraj might have some story to tell, afterall. How disappointed was I?

The story is about a landlord/protecter-of-all/do gooder of the village .Damn ! I forgot the name of the protagonist (Such was the impact the movie had on me ) .If ever there is a perfect person on earth, it has to be him. I am not elaborating on all those clicehd qualities ;if anyone is interested enough to go throug the pain, please watch it. Long story short, there is a villain ;in fact there are about 5-6 villains who try to bring down our hero .The hero emerges victorious .Now tell, me, haven't we heard the same story a 1000 times? Haven't we got fed up with the same old stuff ?Why on earth did the director think that such a movie might get teh cash bells ringing? That is exactly why I say that I think I've been taken for a ride

What is most irritating is the kind of dialogues that bear no relation at all. Unnecessary jargon - be it slokas from epics, or some stuff about Madame Curie(gimme a break man, how the hell does she come into the picture here) the pea brained dialogue writer(s) have thought that this would impress the poor movie watchers who might applaud each time the hero or the ant-hero blurts out some gobbledygook which I am sure even the dialogue writers might have had a hard time figuring out .Do we really care if Sajeev-Mahesh (story/script/dialogue,i guess) tries to show off their knowledge on varied realms by subjecting us to a torture? To be frank the dialogues seemd to be in a la G S Pradeep mode, with no relation with one another nd no significance whatsoever with the situation.

If there is anything more irritating than the dialogues and the predictable storyline, it's the way the whole movie is shot. I guess that of late, the directors in our land has taken a fascination for a little of camera jugglery .May be to project the movie as hi-fi, in par with high bugdet pictures elsewhere(i am not talkin about the standards of the hi-fi films in India; the less said, the better .And we are here to ape these below-par ones), we are resorting to such tricks. The 'trick', if you can call it so in question is a kind of zoom in on a character 'zwooooosh'(that's the sound u know) nd zoom in on another and in another 'zwwwooosh',zoom in on the third .All this accompanied by a rather irritating 'thud', to add the the 'zwoooosh'. Does jayraj think that he has managed to re-create a Jurassic park or a matrix magic with his cheap camera 'tricks'.I wont blame Jayaraj alone, because I had to bear the same in Balram Vs Taradas sometime earlier this year. This seems to be in a bid to make the promos attractive,in case someone thinks its attractive. But believe me, it added to the irritation of listening to a whole truck load of bullshit.

OK. Now we know that we have a hero who does nothing but run around and save people .And once he catches one villain, he says where the actual villain is. The hero, with his 'bhoothaganngal'(an overdose of puranas,i told you) is now on a run to catch the actual villain who then, on getting beaten up reveals the identity of the real actual villain nd the hero's run continues. Not to speak much about the actual villain, Saikumar. I pity him for playing such hollow characters given his immense potential to do something far better. As mentioned earlier, his job is to blurt out dialogues making sure that line 1 doesn't relate to line2 in any way. In one sentence, he has to speak in a way that no one understands, not even the other characters, not even the scriptwriter,the hapless viewers and not even he himself ! If you take that as his mission in this movie, then yeah he has succeeded. And now we come to the most important character of the movie - the heroine. The heroine comes into the movie as a revolutionary who challenges the existing system of brahminical eliticism and is on her own to help the poor .Now it is this quality of the heroine that our always helping, Mr perfect hero liked and know what, he takes her to his home and makes him his wife (All this happens in a span of about 5 - 10 minutes).How I wish life was as good as this and all people were as good as Mr Gopi. The most saddening part is how degraded has to role of a female lead is in malayalam films these days .My mind goes back to the strong female characters of the bygone era .And just see this movie to see how heroines have become just a necessity for the movie promotions without any character of themseleves. Padmapriya's role, giving promise initially as a revolutionary,simply ceases to exist in front of the magnetic personality of our hero .What a pity !

I forgot to mention that our hero is an all-rounder .There is nothing he doesn't know of .Although he has a lawyer, it's his brain that does the work. And he comes out with the most brilliant of ideas that even an LKG kid might dump as stupid. But then, he is the hero, he comes out victorious.

As for the songs, I liked the song 'Azhakaaloru manjacharadil' and is one reason for me to see the movie .But the director has displayed his fascination for boat-rides and what has come out is another pathetic song picturisation. After his 'lajjavathy' boat ride, Jayaraj has once again, taken it the water-way .The only difference being that while it was kathakali (??) accompanying the dancers last time,this time it's some tribal dance. Needless to say, it spoils the mood of the song. How I wish he had projected a blank screen and just played the song.

Another interesting thing is the name of the movie' Ashwaroodhan'(It can't be represented well in English, another plus point) .Thanks to my high- school malayalam teacher, I could understand what it means. And i dont wonder y the director resorted to such a name after seeing the movie becuase the sole purpose seems to be to show off. Related or not related is a different matter altogether. And just because he named the movie ashwaroodhan, he has managed to find a horse which seems to be so under-nourished that I had to convince myself that it's not a donkey. And to make matters worse, Mr Slimfit Gopi takes a ride on the horse on one song sequence as well.The horse was not shown afterwards .Where are the PETA activists? I cannot imagine the plight of the horse had Jayaraj decided to make Mohanlal his lead character .And just to make sure that the name has to have some resemblance afterall, with the story,Jayraj has put up a metallic horse in front of Gopi's jeep and everytime it comes to a screeching halt, the horse is shown in close-up. Hence derived - Ashwaroodtan !

In a nutshell,this movie is a waste of time, energy(I was booing all along and fell asleep tired towards the end) and questions your level of intelligence. If the scriptwriter duo thinks that they can run a movie to full houses with dialogues like this and with a totally wasted talent pool, sorry, you might as well try running it in some other part of the world where people might find the hero to be superhuman when he utters something like Paraskavedekatriaphobia ! Your movie would be out of the theatres even before you spell the word.

I still can't hide my indignation at being cheated (what else can you call this) by a group of wannabe movie-makers( I won't call this a movie) and hence this long writing.I can go on and on on Ashwaroodhan-bashing, but I don't think it's worth my time. If this prompts at least one guy not to see the movie, I am gratified.

A Friend

Director: Shaji Kailas
Cast: Mohanlal, Biju Menon, Jagathy Sreekumar, Mamta Mohandas, Venu Nagavalli, Murali, Sai Kumar, Indrajith, Shammi Thilakan, P. Sreekumar, Freddy, Narayanankutty, Bindu Panicker, Maya Moushmi, Siddique, T.P.Madhavan, Reshmi Nambiar, Manuraj, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Anil Murali, Anoopchandran, Saiju Kurup

There are times when you see a movie and can’t help feeling that it could have been better than what the end result is. Baba Kalyani is a movie of wastages. It does not utilize fully the talented team at its disposal. More disappointing is that it surprisingly does not generate the excitement or suspense that a crime/investigative thriller would normally arose. There is nothing new in the movie that you haven’t seen before.

The plot is fairly simple. Baba Kalyani (Mohanlal) is an honest, intelligent and hard-working officer of the Anti-Terrorist wing of the Kerala Police. He comes across a plot to explode bombs at places of pilgrimage across Kerala with Kochi being its epicenter.

He and his team shifts to Kochi to investigate the hint's received. In order keep a low profile they are assigned various other assignments as a diversion, with Baba Kalyani himself taking the charge of an ACP.

During the course of his investigation Baba Kalyani begins to suspect Mohammed Haji (Sai Kumar), a reputed social worker with a prior history of being a religious extremist. He is an influential figure both in his religious community as well as in the local political community. His son-in-law, Zaheer Ahmed (Indrajith) is a college professor and also is actively involved in the terrorist activities in the state. Baba Kalyani learns that Zaheer and his group are planning multiple bomb explosions at a major pilgrimage in South India. Whether Baba Kalyani is able to reach them in time and thwart their plans forms the rest of movie.

Baba Kalyani is out and out a Mohanlal movie. He breezes through the role of the protagonist with tremendous ease and aplomb. The challenge for script writers and directors in the future would be to tap into the reserves of this great actor and show us something which we have not seen from him before. His acting in this movie is subtle and understated. The role itself is so similar to the one of Major Mahadevan in Keerthi Chakra that at quite a few moments in the film I was having a sense of déjà vu.

Unfortunately since the focus of the script is entirely on Baba Kalyani the rest of the characters are not given enough space to develop. You can actually count the number of scenes when Mahanlal is not on screen. This leaves a lot of characters in various states of degeneration. Some characters like that of Arackal Ashokan (Murali) is just left hanging in limbo leaving you to wonder the need for that character and sequence in the first place. Still other character sketches and sequences are brought to an abrupt end like that of his love affair with Ashokan's daughter Madhumita (Mamta). Again you are left wondering the relevance of this in the overall plot of the movie.

The main essence of any investigative thriller is the investigation itself. The excitement one gets from seeing the officer piece together the clues so as to find the real culprit is completely lacking. The plot feels half baked due to the lack of detail given to the investigation and the lack of intellect used in the process. This is surprising as the script was from S.N. Swamy, who gave us such films like Oru CBI Diary Kurippu. Without doubt he is the biggest disappointment of this movie. The only character that impresses you other than mohanlal's baba kalyani is that of Sai Kumar (Mohammed Haji) in which the actor really impresses you.

I was thankful that the direction was not as over the top as it was in the case of Shaji Kailas’s previous movie Chinthamany Kulakkesu. Even though the director has done a creditable job in keeping the tempo and pace of the movie he falters in his shots and editing. The various shots and the supposed sleek editing (not at all kind to anyone with even a remote history of migraine) leave you utterly bewildered and confused. You are bombarded with so many visuals and quick cuts that you really feel like vomiting your guts out.

The song is fairly decent enough though it has no role whatsoever to play in the overall narrative and in fact slows down the tempo of the film.

To sum up Baba Kalyani is a movie which is all gloss and no substance. It is movie of wasted potential.

Rating: 2.5 / 5

Language : Hindi

Director : Mani Ratnam

Starring: Abhishek Bachan, Mithun Chakraborty, Ashwarya Rai, R.Madhavan, Vidya Balan

For long I have been a Mani Ratnam fan. I was thrilled by his Nayagan and Thalapathy, moved by his Anjali, Roja and Bombay and was made a romantic at heart by Mouna Ragam and Alaipayuthey. This really accentuated by disappointment at some of his works in the recent past. However Guru (even though it is by no means his best work) has brought back the belief that he still has it in him to attain the lofty standards of expectation he has set in us. Mind you it is not a great movie but it is a good enough movies which gives glimpses of his genius.

Guru is a simple rags to riches story of a man called Gurukanth Desai (Abhishek). The movie is about the various stages of his life - where he goes from being the son of a school teacher to establishing the biggest company in India and the people and challenges he encounters and overcomes in between. He starts off his journey at a petroleum co in Turkey. He leaves a successful career there to start a “bijness” of his own. His reasoning? If the company thinks that his work is good then why should he be working for the company? Why cant he work for himself? With Rs.15000 Guru sets out thus to make his mark in the Indian business world of the 1950s. However to start off he requires more funds. This predicament is solved by agreeing to marry Sujatha (Ashwarya), the sister of his friend. The fact that she is elder to him or that she has tried to elope with a lover (who leaves her stranded at the railway station) seems insignificant to him when compared to the fact that he will be getting Rs.25000 from her father as dowry.

Thus armed with a wife, a brother-in-law and some money he comes to Bombay to seek out his dreams. Indian business at those times was tightly controlled by a few elite. It was the time of license-raj and bureaucracy ruled supreme. Gurubhai overcomes these hurdles by bowing down at some instances, by ingenuity at others and even by brute force when required. The means never mattered to him. The end was all he cared for. This brings him in conflict with Manik Dasgupta (Mithun Chakraborty), the editor of a prominent newspaper called The Independent, Gurus one time mentor and a man who believes in and stands for the truth. He is against Gurus unscrupulous methods and wants to stop him by exposing his wrong doing in his newspaper. For this he assigns a similar minded and firebrand journalist Shyam (R. Madhavan) to expose many irregularities in the functioning style of Gurubhai. In all this only Manik Dasguptas grand daughter (Vidya Balan) supports Gurubhai. How Manik Dasgupta and Shyam try to expose Gurubhai and how Gurubhai overcomes these troubles forms the rest of the movie.

The acting in this movie is superlative. All the actors give a top-notch performance be it the main cast or the support crew. Abhishek is all encompassing in the title role. His dedication to the role is plainly visible. He has put on quite a bit of weight to lent credibility to his role as the older and wealthier Gurubhai. His range of emotions from being a simple villager to one of the greatest industrialist in India is well executed. Definitely his best work till date.

Ashwarya is the surprise package of the film. The plastic doll proves that in the hands of a capable director she can actually emote and not ham her way through the role. Her restraint and subtlety in executing the role of a village belle transforming into a dutiful wife of an industrialist is truly commendable.

The rest of the support cast does a creditable job with Vidya Balans essay of the handicapped girl being the one that springs to mind readily. Mind you, her role is so miniscule that you feel that she was wasted. The same applies for R.Madhavan. You cant help but feel that Mithun Chakraborty was not fully utilized and his character not fully developed.

The direction of the movie is top class. The technical details are very well done. The visuals are well etched. Mani Ratnam manages to keep our interest in the movie even though it could have gone out of control due to the scripts over indulgence with the main character. The movie goes at a good enough pace and does not bring about boredom at any point. My only complaint is that the songs are too close to each other. Then again Mani Ratnam keeps us entertained with some cool picturization of the songs

I must be honest when I say that I was not too impressed by A.R. Rahmans music for this movie when I heard it initially. But I started liking the music more after seeing its picturization. The songs mayya mayya and bin thera are catchy. While the visuals of barso re is equally as good as the song itself.

The main problem with the movie is its script. The film is not able to maintain the tempo and enthusiasm of the first half. The second half is a huge let down when compared to the first. It is only the acting and Mani Ratnams direction that saves the day. The movie is all about Guru. Period! The other characters with the exception of Ashwaryas are not clearly defined. The movie is about a grayish character. Surprisingly the movie seems hesitant and almost apologetic to expose Gurus shady deals. His illegal and unethical practices are either underplayed or justified. This leads to diluting the conflict between The Independent and Gurubhai. This is the biggest disappointment as it could have been exploited a potentially explosive confrontation between the main characters of this movie. However the end result is that the confrontation is so diluted it just fizzles out without a trace.

Guru is a movie that could have been great if only the makers had shown a bit more guts in dealing with the subject. In the end it feels hijacked by the one person on whom the movie is supposed to be based albeit from the grave.

Rating : 3.5/5

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