Movie updates

Have been doing a spate of movies recently. Chennai is certainly happening in terms of having the right friends group to hang out with. As for the audience, the usual Chennai Movie crowd is very much fun to watch movies with(I mean just the audience) most times the audience laughs at those one lines liners and “really good jokes/lines” that one catches only while watching the second time, or on the net while reading about the movie.

1. One missed call : Apparently this is a Japanese movie remake. I watched a morning show with my dad., I wont go into the details and give the story away, but if you are anything like me and believe “A Pounding heart is good for the circulation”, then watch it. Premise of the movie- one strange ring tone(actually it sounds sweet, when taken out of context-the Ring tone i.e.) which goes into a missed call alert. On picking the voice mail, the victim hears what he/she is saying, perhaps two or three days in the future, and eventually dies horrifically, just as the voice mail hinted. A star cast of almost unknowns, similar to Scream and I know what you did series… would have been nice if they did some more research on the relationship between the ghost and its sibling and why it actually does what it does….
   


2. King fu panda : While it’s a fun animated movie about a FAT panda who goes on to become THE CHOSEN ONE. The voice overs of jack black as the Panda and Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu are simply super. What was actually visually very pleasing was the escape of TAILUNG the villain from the much guareded prison. I was actually rooting for him(shame on me). Voices of Angelina Jolie as Tigress and Jackie Chan as Monkey are simply wasted. While its and all and all positive movie about whats inside that matters, Must admit I watched it twice and enjoyed it both times. Would have been nice if they some more research on say the panda’s relationship with his “Bird” father. They are just too different..The movie has some memorable lines “ Today is a gift, and that’s why its called the present.” “ There are no accidents” These are uttered by the turtle who has the best lines..all in all a truly enjoyable fare.




3. ROCK On A cult movie of sorts if u imagine the Dil Chahta hai genre. Story line goes like this--4 Young individuals who had dreams of forming a rock band. How that doesn’t happen and 10 years hence how their lives have turned.. One of the band members’s wife looks up some old stuff in the attic only to discover her investment banker husband(with their really beautiful house) and very busy urban lifestyle was actually a leading ROCK band singer. How they get together and eventually perform one last time is the crux of the story. The story swings between past and present(which is a bit confusing at times) but the hair styles(long in the past) and short in the present is how you can follow the story..except for Arjun Rampal who looks like some god with his long flowing hair. (I need a moment to gasp) Farhan Akhtar and Prachi Desai(of Kasam Se fame) make a good debut. Farhan has a shower scene which is a must see. Purab Kohli and Luke Kenny were good surprises as I didn’t know they could act. (for example) We do know that in the climax Joe(played by Arjun) will appear and he does and how! If only he could seem more convincing with the guitar. His acting is very mature as the failed musician with a nagging wife, and a son who thinks he is a hero. His unworded expressions of disappointment in the scene where they have to sign the contract without having his song or his GF losing out on the designing was very good.
   
   While Farhan has a well developed body, he might seem to have been dealt a raw deal of cards with his actual voice(he sounds like his father, at his current age I mean), it is surprisingly very good to hear in the rock numbers. Prachi Desai also has done justice to her role without any hamming.(Hope she doesn’t go back to melodramatic Saas bahu type serials) Quite a fast paced narrative, right from the the Dandia Spoof, to the competitor Band who sings some Zahreela Song, till the Sindbad the sailor song in the end(you can catch Farhan’s wife Audhna along with Prachi desai in that song in the audience) it was quite entertaining.. and yes, I watched the movie twice.


4. Other mentionables

• Journey to the centre of the earth(watch it in 3 D if u can) its action packed and a sci fi theme.


• Mamma Mia : if you are an ABBA fan like my family is watch it for sheer nostalgia and to sing along (yes the lyrics display like karaoke) and please don’t watch in Mangalore(the crowd there is Thakela)


• Raaman Thediya Seethai : This one was like my arranged marriage blog..and very well told family entertainer. My favorite was the character Nedumaran(the blind radio jockey) with panache and attitude..well played Pashupathy..


• Subramanipuram : very 80's look. 4 young men and how the life they choose innocently exploits them in return. the fun part was the love story entwined, which had all the nuances of say an 80's wooing game. The graphic violence might get your goat, but good effort and not surprisingly a HIT