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Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014)
An Immersive Experience
For more than two hours I was soaked in the culture of South Canara . The sea, the riverside, greenery and the folk arts all produce a mesmerizing effect. Some of the newspapers found the movie to be stretched , meandering and a waste of time. What I did conclude after watching "Ulidavaru Kandante" was that they exaggerated the film's weaknesses to a great extent .
The film doesn't sell itself as a thriller . Neither does it promise a mind-blowing climax . All it seeks is, to show a portmanteau of perspectives on an incident during the Krishnashtami season in Udupi. Though the perspectives are not etched very well , they provide interesting insights to life in South Canara during the early 90's . I could relate to the ideas of "running away from home to Bombay / Gulf " , underworld etc because these were some of the social issues that I saw during my years of growing up in Udupi ( the 90's).
The swagger of Rakshit Shetty , the portrayal of despair and hope by Thara , joie de vivre of the children ,the love-struck Kishore and the sheer brilliance of Achyuth Kumar make the movie a treat to watch. The perspectives do overlap, but that's how an incident pans out in real- life. Many of the dialogues are in Kundapura Kannada and a few are in Tulu . This makes the movie very real but audiences could find it hard to understand them . And subtitles were missing in some places . I did love some of the colloquialisms in the movie, "Vali Kaluk " : which means to turn a woman a widow ( Vole : Ornament , Kaliyodu : Remove in Kannada ), Boda Sheera ( Do you want sheera - Kesari Bhath in Tulu , an allusion to Sheera served during the Hindu ceremony of mourning). These gems were lost on the audience without an appropriate explanation of the contaxt. Rakshit delivers his dialogues with a flamboyance that makes them memorable.The cinematography, music and the choreography of the Huli- Vesha are absolutely top class.The cinematic device of using the story of a Cuban boy and the Agneepath protagonist is a nice touch.
I am giving the movie an 8 because it could have been shorter, the perspectives should have been clearer and easy to follow for an ordinary viewer. Ulidavaru Kandante demands a little patience from the cine goer but the movie is a rewarding experience.
Gravity (2013)
If you can't afford to go to space, watching Gravity is the next best thing you can do
If you are not super rich or friends with space entrepreneurs or not hopeful about living till space tourism takes off, drop everything that you are doing and watch Gravity in IMAX.
The visuals are so great that you can hardly find time to follow the plot. It's mind blowing how the visual effects incorporates " Everything is in constant motion " principle.The screenplay dwells on emotions and weaknesses of the protagonist as much as it brings out her strength of character.George Clooney does well as an experienced cosmonaut.But it's Sandra Bullock who steals the show with a scintillating depiction of survival in space.Thankfully there is no drama of the kind " we will save human kind " or " we will save the mission/vehicle".
The special effects in the movie manages to transport you into space and the musical score lends gravitas to the scenes. But when the movie goes silent,space feels so scary.Now,I know why Howard in "The Big Bang Theory" was so fearful of space travel.Do not miss it!
Rush (2013)
An Adrenalin Rush
The best sports movies are the ones in which sports is the glue for insights into human attitudes, relationships and the spirit.Rush does very well on this count. Plus, the romanticizing of Formula 1 and the the rivalry between the methodical and the flamboyant is very entertaining.
The director manages to get under the skin of the real life characters.The script builds the characters so well that you like both of them.Some great acting and witty dialogs add to the fun.Keeps you on the edge with some racy music too. For me, the movie checks many boxes.Very relatable to non F1- enthusiasts too.It transports you to the F1 season of '76 and stays with you after it's over.
The Lunchbox (2013)
Flawed Gem
This is a movie for a quiet Saturday evening.An unhurried experience that leaves you with the time to inhale it's fragrance, savor it one small bite at a time.
The Lunchbox employs some clever cinematic devices, a conversation through letters that explores two lonely lives in parallel,the voice of a neighbor instead of visuals and food as a metaphor.The movie gives deep insights into the characters especially those of Irfan and Nawazuddin's, slowly getting past their superficial behavior.
Set in everyday Mumbai, Lunchbox captures the city beautifully.A dabbawallah's mistake( their reputataion is one in several million transactions) brings the protagonists closer .They find commonality in their loneliness and reminisce of good times.Over time they realize that they are living lives that they don't want to.A thread involving Nawazuddin Sheikh provides a tinge of comedy as well as an illustration of joie de vivre.
Irfan brings sensitivity to the table , Nimrat Kaur grace and Nawazuddin effervescence.
One of the negatives about the movie is that it plateaus after establishing it's theme.Though I enjoyed the climax, it could have been executed better and the film should have been 15 minutes shorter.
Altogether, Ritesh Batra's first movie is a gem albeit a flawed one.
Lucia (2013)
Good Thriller
I went without a lot of expectations and the movie managed to exceed them quite easily. Director Pavan Kumar's sophomore attempt betters his previous movie,Lifeu Ishtene.
The plot revolves around an usher Nikki in a barely running theater in Bengaluru. Nikki takes a tablet called Lucia to get rid of his sleeplessness and it starts a train of events that forms the crux of an investigation by the police.
Full marks to the plot but the first half seemed a wee bit stretched.The movie picks up pace after the interval and Pavan comes up with a great climax. Neenasam Satish as Nikki is a revelation. Achyut Kumar and shruti Hariharan are good too.Music is catchy and depiction of contemporary Bengaluru is nice.
Sharper editing and a more engaging first half would have helped.Nevertheless, a must watch.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)
The Magic of Bollywood Romance is Back
Yes, this movie has shades of the Bollywood classic romantic movies of the past 25 years , DDLJ ,Hum Aapke Hain Kaun etc.Like them, it has some great music, excellent performances and a predictable yet engaging story.
But it also mirrors the dilemmas today's youth face.It doesn't show a hero who is perfect.It also reminded me of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. It is not preachy but it does have a message or two for all of us who lead fast paced urban lives.
The performances from all the lead actors are nothing short of what is expected from them .Ranbir reinforces what many of us believed: He is the successor to Shah Rukh Khan as the romantic hero. Deepika puts in another good performance after Cocktail silencing the non-believers( well,that included me till today).Her grace and spontaneity enhances her beautiful looks. Kalki truly is one of the best actresses in Bollywood and one hopes we could see more and more of her. Aditya Roy Kapoor is a talent to watch out for.
The story is not new and any Bollywood fan could predict how it would unfold.But it revives some of the magical chemistry between the lead pair which was so characteristic of the nineties' romantic movies( imagine SRK-Kajol,Salman-Madhuri,Aamir-Juhi).And it is strong enough for you to root for the protagonists to unite.The jokes are flat sometimes but the spirit is endearing.
As they say sometimes the journey matters more than the destination.It is not a masterpiece, but it's a pleasure watching it.And for all those of us who love Bollywood romances, it is a movie which can be enjoyed more than once.