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July 2, 2004

Ini Bhayam Illai – A shortfilm review

While Prasanna wrote the huge applauding comment for the Virumandi review, I didn’t know he was as passionate as he is about movies. He had mentioned in a comment that he and friends had tried their hand on a short film and he would like to send a copy to me. So we fixed up and met at Prasanna’s place to watch his short film Ini Bhayam Illai.

Ini Bhayam Illai runs for just 16 minutes. It has a very simple theme. The short screenplay however has added a lot of value to this rather interesting piece of work. All the 15+ minutes I was glued to the screen to see what would happen next. IBI talks about the guilt of two people who are unconnected. One’s guilt was due to a simple act committed. And the other for a guilt uncomitted. So the shots move back and forth among these two people and finally gives an philosophical ending to the theme.The theme has been well thought about, very well re-created on screen.

Prasanna who has written, directed and starred the film has done a good job. He and Jithin are the protagonists and he has carried the role of a student who commits a simple act which leads to a guilt that is unsurmountable. The other suprise package comes from Rajesh, who has done a supporting role, amazingly well.

As Prasanna said that the whole movie was shot with a HandyCam in MinDV format, I was suprised for the quality of movie which was so good. With 10 hours of editing in a professional editing studio, this shortfilm really deserved one for the movie itself has more scene cuts than the number of actors in it. That clearly elevates the movie to higher standards. I have to appreciate prasanna for the ‘telling-without-telling’ idea in the screenplay.

With people taking such good shortfilms with just a handycam, films are no more the toys of a rich producer. And as more and more such shortfilms are being shot, more and more reality creeps in. What a welcoming move that is.

P.S: Prasanna would be happy to screen you the movie. you can reach him at his email, rsprasanna[at]hotmail[dot]com. He also acted in the play Death by Vaanam Vasappadum fame Karthikkumar’s Evam group. This play was a recent hit in chennai and it is inspired by Woody Allen’s movie by the same name(?). Here is the piece of introductory text by Prasanna about the shortfilm.

Two men. Each burdened by guilt.

One, for an act committed. The other for an act not committed.

The Beach. The sound of the waves. Only their fears holding them back

Will they confront their fears? Ini Bhayam Illai.
July 1, 2004

Goodbye, blue skies?

Guest Blog #20 – Anand C

It is no doubt a historic moment when the first successful private space flight was launched in Mojave. The achievement ranks up there in grit with Chuck Yeager and the breaking of the sound barrier. It is legalizing every pipe dream ranging from relocation to tourist resorts, that have been the stuff of science fiction.

And yet, it seems like Pink Floyd‘s words from long back (Goodbye, Blue Sky) are resonating now more than ever:

Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter,
When the promise of a brave new world,
Unfurled beneath a clear blue sky?
Goodbye, blue sky.
Goodbye.
June 28, 2004

Parthiban’s Kudaikul Mazhai – Taking a Guess

[Pic : The Hindu] Just like Parthiban’s quest for difference I have changed the image to B/W. However, the movie will be colorful.

His trailer says it all. And those who have seen it appreciate it so well. What more you want to generate hype for a good opening of a movie. So Parthiban’s latest film Kudaikkul Mazhai can be assured of full house for the first two weeks. For someone who tries to be consistently different, tamil cinedom should be grateful atleast in these ways.

As the trailer begins to run, we see a montage of a elite hollywood flick with some bombs blasting, some helicopters flying across and a couple of white couples making love. All these are shown just like a trailer and the camera pans to the silhouette of Parthiban who claims that his movie Kudaikkul Mazhai doesn’t carry any of those spine chilling shots. He goes on to explain his passion for movies and explains that this movie was shot over a span of 2 years for which he had declined 18 and a half offers. The half offer being a cameo role. He assures Kudaikkul Mazhai will be a splendid experience, a commercial poetic venture.

This is a slightly lengthy trailer but a different effort. Now, in the promos, he says, people come with a notion to watch movies. Their pre-concieved notion blocks them from being open. So he refuses to introduce the other characters in the movie. The movie premise is about a girl falling in love with Auto driver and the aftermath.

Something stuck me about Parthiban’s consistent efforts to be different. So when he refuses to introduce other characters, what could be the difference. My sixth sense says there is no one in the movie except for him and the heroine. He is capable of having a movie with just two characters. Now, this isn’t from any kollywood gossip that I got to hear. It is just my guess. So if this becomes true, I believe it might, Partiban should design a platinum ring for my index finger. Right.
June 28, 2004

World Themes for Indian Cinema (Part 5 of 8)

Co-Blogging Series – Anand C and Lazy Geek
LAUGHTER, THE BEST MEDICNE (Nightly Dose)

If you think the conventional take on everyday events is mundane and monotonous, you’ll enjoy these recent quips on George W, on a 45-second stretch in the Tonight Show (NBC, weeknights, 11:35 P.M):

Q: Why was the president surprised at “Meet the Press”?
A: He heard that he would also be asked questions! (since it was “meet the press!”)

Q: Mr. President, were you ever AWOL in the army?
A: No, always used Earthlink.

Leno: For the rest of the world it’s “D-Day”. In the president’s house, it’s “report card day”.

Q: What connects the death of Jesus with the war on Iraq?
A: Lack of credible intelligence in the Middle East.

The man behind the humor – Jay Leno – is probably the best known stand-up comedian today and host of “The Tonight Show”. Jokes are oxygen to Leno. It is his peculiar talent to pick over jokes, news items, and tidbits of information – he gets about 200 to 300 submissions a day – select the funniest of the crop, and fashion them into an 11-minute monologue that will persuade millions to stay up later than they probably should for a humorous take on the events of the day… few perspectives on his life and work (Source: FORTUNE Magazine):

(more…)
June 26, 2004

Top 10 songs – For a change, this is from Hollywood

Bijoy Venugopal writes in Rediff on the American Film Institute‘s list of Top 10 Hollywood movie songs.

Some observations/suggestions(not for the American Film Institute, for myself):
a) When you wish upon a star from Pinochio (1940) is on the fourth. I would have rated it number two.

b) The Sound of Music – The Sound Of Music (1965) features at tenth. Remember our own kollywood’s Shanthi Nilayam, was inspired from The Sound of Music. Thats ofcourse, is a very old news. But I would personally rate it number one.

Also The Bridge On The River Kwai theme, Colonel Boogie’s March, hasn’t been included because it never had lyrics to it. It was the yesteryear Mission Impossible like theme. Pity that it was out of the list. I’m atleast happy for Eminem to have made it in the list from his own movie 8 Mile (2002) for the song Lose Yourself.

Ini Bhayam Illai – A shortfilm review

Goodbye, blue skies?

Parthiban’s Kudaikul Mazhai – Taking a Guess

World Themes for Indian Cinema (Part 5 of 8)

Top 10 songs – For a change, this is from Hollywood