Lessons and Thoughts

One of the lessons I learnt over the past few weeks is:

If you want to write about a movie you've just watched or about a book you are reading; you should do it NOW.

Otherwise, the urge to inflict all those shades of thoughts and reactions on the world passes. Later all those shades are muddied and you may still write it all out anyway creating something which is not quite fresh and true.

So here goes in random order, impressions of weeks past that have lingered, as short as I can make it.

Two movies remain in my head and remind me that there is a story in each one of us. People who live ordinary lives, in poverty and want yet each find something - a dream - to cling to that lifts their lives out of the misery of want and makes their lives rich. Mari in Poo and Vedachalam in Kanjeevaram.

Poo is about Mari; the girl with the heart of a flower. She is consumed with love for her cousin brother but is too shy to express it. The blossoming of a young girl as she tries to express her love in different ways ; her tribulations which are told in a gentle humorous way. Her gentle heart which can never bear to see him hurt.
Poo is about Mari and actor Parvathy justly deserves all the awards she has been accumulating with her sensitive face.



The sepia tones Of Kanjeevarm linger long after. It’s a movie of superlative visuals with great attention to detail paid to the sets depicting a style of life of 60 years ago. The sharp beauty of Shreya Reddy stands out as well as the vigor of Prakash Raj in every scene.
What keeps this poor weaver, Vedachalam going is his commitment to weave a saree for his daughter's‘wedding from silk - a Kanjeevaram which he can never afford in his lifetime and how he finds the means to this end. His broader visions – the rights of his community of weavers to better pay and conditions makes him a man of stature and how his ideals grow and bend are party of the story.

His sensitivity – when he sees his daughter crying; he doesn’t look at her directly or take her in his arms. But in the Indian way, stands apart and tries to address her problem. It seems more authentic than the father in Abiyum Naanum. Or is this a generation apart?

What ? You! It can't be :-(((

After watching a hotshot movie on the second day after release, I'm enjoying the reactions to this little piece of action much more than the movie.

I guess the reactions take on colour only in the light of the background. Which has been rather bleak, living in a 'C' grade mofussil town for many years. Good movies came to town about 6 months or 1 year after release and disappeared before we even knew they had 'hit' town , rather weakly. Even then, theatre going was an event that happened maybe, once a year. Became much less after TV channels recycled every movie you'd never heard of. But, now even Ooty finds a place in a flat world .

And it happened because women in their prime have got over this 'I-have-to-go-with-my-husband" nonsense.

Doc: " What, you never told me? "
(I do go to a hundred places and tell him later, but obviously movies fall in a special category)

Kapu: "What was the occasion? No bday , women's day..then why did you go?"
( I can hear her thinking, jobless women - sheer jealousy)

Darshini : "I must see if its running in a theatre in Bombay".
Me: "Don't waste 100 or 200 rupees on it."
( the last falls on deaf ears).

Sajid : "its okay if its not too good. you did it ,no."
( just doing it and ahead of the pack is the point )

Harini : "Oh, why did my Dad put me in this forsaken college. He's so bad".
( movies rate far above life plans )

Sindhu: " Why is life like this? You don't even know who is acting in it You can't even appreciate it. And you get to see it in a theatre. In Ooty!
And with all the aunties!! And I have to download it and see it on my laptop. Oh God.Why is life so unfair?"

I am sitting back and grinning like a Cheshire cat. Have to go and make some calls. Didnt know it was so easy to stir up the green eyed monster.

Rock On

Continuing my movie orgy (visiting daughters contribute to the number and choice), two I saw last week were so nostalgic:

Rock On: Rock On is about 4 ageing dudes who come together 10 years after they disbanded their band to play again. Of course the idea of youth revived and friendship and fun revisited is appealing to us ageing types. After the friends find each other and meet together for jamming sessions every evening, there is a sense of life singing through them which is so attractive. And seeing the pulsating band rock on stage is so nostalgic to anyone who grew up in the 70s listening to 'pop music' and watching the few exciting music movies that did come our way.
Otherwise one leaves with an overdose of Farhan Akhtar and a blank faced Arjun Ramphal. The first half is a bit of a drag but the movie perks up later. A feel good-feel while it lasts.

Subramaniapuram. This much talked about movie is good, very realistic and so much true to life.
Set in the 80's in Madurai; the protagonists are again a bunch of 4 young men, with no definite purpose in life and no job either. The shoulder length hair which they keep patting down, fuzz on their faces, bell bottoms, flowered shirts and their habit of cycling round and round strongly brought back my classmates at college to me. :-)
The movie deals with the exploitation of youth by crafty political locals who use them without any scruples. And the gullibility of youth who find an identity with such people. Their path for life is then defined by circumstances from which there is no going back.

The narration is focused and straightforward. Except for the very sweet romance (the song of the year is lauded by Raji) and the humor which pervades the story without being a separate track; the characters are not too fleshed out. So it is a little difficult to identify with the characters. And hence even the gore doesn't touch one too much.
But the effort to make a movie with conviction and no frills is truly commendable.

Movies

Saroja- Fun, light movie. Its not a movie you go home and think about. But neither is it boring. The young director, Venkat Prabhu has taken pains to present a thriller but with elements of comedy that prevent it from getting bogged down by darkness. And there is literally a lot darkness as most of the movie takes place one night - in a dark broken down factory.
There are a lot of promo efforts going on to fill empty theatres and I do hope they succeed. As Im sure Venkat is going to give us better movies as he goes on.

Raman Thediya Seethai. I thought being Cheran's movie, it would have a new theme, new outlook and different characters. The one flaw could be he is too serious and not entertaining enough. All expectations got fulfilled except that the movies is not Cheran's but is directed by K.P. Jagannath and produced by Moser Baer who are going to produce family -pics. This is all of one. You can see it with the whole family though it may hold only the older generation .

The theme is 'bride seeing'. How difficult it is when the groom has a 'flaw' or defect or drawback. It instantly puts off girls and the depressing effect it has on the boy.

Cheran is the protagonist but there are stories of other people too. Pasupathy as a blind, extremely self confident and self reliant Radio VJ makes a terrific impact. And newcomer Nithin Sathya as a thief with blarney. Pretty girls come and go. The photography is good and the backdrops, scenery very pleasing to the eye.