So, this was an interesting movie! Almost too subtle for me to follow. Or maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention (I was trying to finish it while getting ready for work).
I am so embarrassed! I got confused and accidentally watched the Tamil remake of Lucia first! And now I can’t go back, my primary reference is always going to be the second version not the original! The best I can do to make up for it is to review them both together.
(Luckily, moviemavengal did not make the same mistake, and was able to watch the original unspoiled! Check out her review here)
I saw a Malayalam movie in theaters! Because my friend convinced me I should be brave and risk no subtitles. It was really really good! And subtitled, thank goodness.
(if you want to see a different review, moviemavengal has posted hers here)
I actually went to a theater and watched a Malayalam film! I am so proud of myself. Of course, I cheated a little and picked a movie with a title I can actually pronounce without struggling.
I already posted a spoiler-free review, now here’s the one with lots of spoilers! Not because I want you to know every detail of the film (that’s what my full summary is for, going up sometime soon), but because I want to talk about parts of the film that are directly plot related and how they affect my analysis.
I saw Ki & Ka! It was not as good as it could be. In many many ways. Many many many ways. But the soundtrack was good, and Kareena looks fabulous, so it wasn’t a total loss!
(moviemavengal reviews it here. She liked it a little better than me.)
I watched Khoobsurat for the 4th time last night (I missed it in theaters, but have seen it 4 times on DVD after a friend told me I HAD to watch it). It’s just as good as it ever was, but it’s also a whole different experience watching it having just seen Neerja. In all sorts of ways.
I saw Prem Ratan Dhan Payo in theaters twice and bought it on DVD the day it came out, but I’ve only watched it 1 and a half times since it left theaters (the half is because my sister already watched the first half while I was at work, and then we watched the end together). But you know, I think I may like it even more on DVD than I did on the big screen.
This is one of those recent movies that was recommended in a sort of “well, it’s kind of interesting, you might as well” sort of way. Instead of the “You MUST watch this movie!!!” kind of way. And that was basically my reaction too, it’s okay, it was enjoyable, but it didn’t blow my mind.
After going back and forth, I finally decided to see Rocky Handsome opening night. It was good! Well, it was okay. It was confused, is what it was. It was a really good East Asian style action movie, but with a couple of songs grafted onto it. And John Abraham. And Shruti Haasan who, thankfully, only had one line of dialogue.
I saw Varsham! The same day as Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, which was weird since they are very different movies who share an actress playing two very different heroines. But I think I liked Varsham better. At least, “liked” as in “willing to rewatch it multiple times and happy while viewing it.” Not so much “liked” as in “thought it was actual a deep and rewarding film with multiple layers and messages.” Continue reading
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa was one of the few non-Ratman Tamil movies recommended to me and, more importantly, was available through my library, so I watched it last weekend. And then the first song started and I went “Hey! I know this soundtrack!” Ever since Ekk Deewana Tha started being promoted 4 years ago, I have listened to the Ekk Deewana Tha/Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya/Ye Maaye Chaseve at least once a week, if not once a day. It is really really good. So that was an odd point of familiarity/unfamiliarity from which to start.
Somehow, this film slipped completely under my radar. Not as much as Jai Gangaajal, there has been some promotion at least, comments and twitter and so forth, but probably because I was so Kapoor and Sons focused, I didn’t even realize it was coming out this week. But then I saw the really super cool poster (above), and decided it is worth investigating.
Well, sort of stuck in traffic, sort of got lost on the way and took a detour. Either way, appropriate! The point is, I got it two days late because someone at the mail center in India messed up and put in the wrong digit for my zip code, which meant it went to Dunkerton, Idaho, before it made its way to me. Actually, kind of remarkably it was only 2 days late, since that’s several hundred miles away from me. Also, remarkably, the funky Indian website where I ordered it was not at fault! I checked the original packaging and packing slip, and they had everything right, it was only when it was handed over to the private shipping company that it got messed up.
But, All’s Well that End’s Well, I finally got my DVD, and I was able to watch it in bits last night and while getting ready for work this morning.
(update: Moviemavingal just posted her take on it, including why it is and isn’t like the American style hyperlinks)
I saw Kapoor and Sons last night, and it was definitely different. Not-Indian in a lot of ways, mostly stylistic, and very Indian in other ways, mostly family structure. Although, at some point, this family stuff turns into just basic realities of human nature, it’s just that Indian film is the only industry that really highlights these kinds of things.
(if you want another perspective, check out the review by moviemavengal)
Yes it does! I watched it again last night with friends for my weekly movie night. I’d already seen it twice in theaters, once at another movie night, and once with my sister while we cooked Thanksgiving dinner. It’s an extremely re-watchable film, especially with a group. Which probably explains why it sold so many tickets.
As a reward for letting Mani Ratnam make me cry again, I picked out a Telugu film that was recommended to me, and was available for free on youtube with subtitles. It did NOT make me cry, but it did make me go “wait, what’s happening now?” a lot.
I’m working through my list, and I just watched my second Ratnam movie of the week. It’s not even on purpose! I’m just looking at the films that are easily available/generally recommended. This one in particular apparently went to a bunch of international film festivals? The end result being, it is easily available from my library, and on a bunch of streaming websites. I mean, it’s also a really really good movie, but the reason I picked it to watch next was based purely on convenience.
Well, happy-ish. He still doesn’t get Draupadi. But at least he reunites with Kunti and Arjun! Also, it’s a Mani Ratnam movie, so the directing is just all around excellent. But more importantly, Rajnikanth! It’s my first Rajnikanth movie (not counting Ra.ONE, because why would you?) and I have to say, he does impress!
I watched Thoovanathumbikal! Because it seemed to be the general consensus that it was the next best one on my list. And it was really good, but also really made me think and concentrate to understand it. Partly because I was struggling with a wacky subtitle situation.
So, I’ve been writing about and watching a lot of Malayalam films. But those aren’t appropriate for every situation. For instance, when I have a bunch of friends over who want to talk over/about a movie while we are watching it. In that case, I basically limit it to movies I have already seen on my own with complete and total focus, and also movies that still work even if you are wandering in and out of the room and telling me about how your classes are going and asking if you can make popcorn. So, last week we watched Magadheera (3rd time for me, 1st time with others in the room) and this week we watched Bijjugadu (4th time for me, 1st time with others in the room).
After seeing the news article yesterday about this movie maybe being re-released with Hindi dubbing, I got curious and tracked down a sort-of legal online source so I could stream it. And I am kind of stunned that it hasn’t been dubbed already, and that I’d never heard about it before.
I’ve been slowing down on my Malayalam posts this week because I’m catching up on American TV. Well, “TV”, the Netflix series House of Cards. I find it very soothing. Especially when I have to write about something emotional.
I watched Classmates! After getting obsessed with it once I found out I couldn’t have it (this is also why I ended up ordering Traffic on DVD. It’s a sickness!). Well, that and after hearing about it in all sorts of places as being a landmark in the evolution of the Malayalam film industry.
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