Jackpot Review from Times of India!

Story: Three con artists have their eyes set on some fast money. However, each of them are secretly trying to con the other as well. Who will outwit whom and get away with the loot?

Review: Goa forms the backdrop for this who-gets-the-moolah caper. Francis (Joshi) packs in the muscle and has a can of beer always close at hand. He is also street-smart enough to impress Maya (Leone), the oomphy voice of reason in the movie. Boss Man (Naseeruddin) is a veteran raver whose clothes are as colourful as his principles and punchlines. Slow in speech but quick to draw a six-shooter, he owns the Jackpot casino.
Boss, Francis and Maya hatch a plan to steal crores of cash. And while the deed itself is executed decently enough, the subsequent sub-plots and implications of intrigue amongst the schemers is laid on with the predictability and subtlety of a bull in a china shop.

Completely in character, Boss looks and sounds like a parody of a villain. While it's clearly understood that he is the owner of a floating casino, his lines flog every possible gambling pun to death. After a point, you can almost predict what the next one-liner will be. Francis and his other muscle-bound cronies often get into squabbles whenever some suspicion of duplicity arises amongst them.

And those expecting anything even close to a Sunny Leone steam-fest will be disappointed. In fact, she raps the knuckles of the local lads, scolding them if they dare lay their gaze on her bursting-at-the-buttons bosom. "My eyes are up here, not down there!" she reminds one local lad. She is also given lines like "Sarkar aur underworld mein kya farak hai?"

Similarly, Francis, who later in the movie reminds her that "Hum log artisthai - con artist!" and Boss, who reasons out that in his line of work, "Risky is like whisky". Makarand Deshpande's kooky cop character is genuinely funny, but corny lines aside, one of Jackpot's few redeeming factors here is that it moves along quickly.

Rating:**
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Jackpot/movie-review/27297202.cms

Jackpot Review from Taran Adarsh!

Kaizad Gustad, who wowed moviegoers with BOMBAY BOYS, but got it all wrong with BOOM, returns to tell a story after a hiatus. Is his new endeavour, JACKPOT, sharp and intelligent like his first film?

JACKPOT is a thriller with comic one-liners and crazy characters, set entirely in Goa against the backdrop of casino boats. An amateur gang of young Goan con artists plan the perfect con -- no nuksaan, no pareshan. However, it doesn't take long for them to discover that a reverse con has been played back on them... 

JACKPOT starts off with a title track that seems highly inspired from the opening credits of a Bond film... also reminiscent of the one in SHAAN. Soon thereafter, we are introduced to the characters, with multiple subplots adding to the mystery... and confusion. Kaizad doesn't spill the beans at the outset and the non-linear depiction of happenings that constantly switch back and forth leave you confused, making you wonder, what's Kaizad up to? Actually, with multiple cons being played simultaneously, the viewer is at a loss when trying to figure out what the original con was. 

However, Kaizad links the uneven subplots wonderfully in the second half. With a run time of approx 1.40 hours, the post-interval portions move feverishly and the unanswered questions get an answer. The writing is smart, the pacing is just right, the twists and turns in the narrative are sharp and the culmination catches you completely unaware. Kaizad serves an intelligent thriller, while the DoP does justice to his vision, capturing the lush green spots, grey skies and the downpour with precision. The background score too gives the film an edge. 

Kaizad also integrates the songs smartly in the narrative and the romantic track filmed on Sachiin and Sunny, 'Kabhi Jo Baadal Barse', stays in your memory. Having said that, the romantic scenes between the lead pair aren't too convincing. Also, the pacing in the first half is quite erratic. 

Sachiin certainly manages to pull off a more convincing job as an actor this time. Sunny also shows a marked improvement in her performance. Naseeruddin Shah is, as always, tremendous. Makrand Deshpande does a stellar job of playing the laidback cop, getting the local dialect right. Bharath, who has a humber of South Indian films to his credit, makes his Hindi debut with JACKPOT. He's first-rate. 

On the whole, JACKPOT proves to be an interesting watch with a sharp and clever second half.

Rating:***

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/reviews/type/view/id/1328

Escape from Uganda review from Rediff!

Malayalam film Escape from Uganda is a film that tries to thrill but fails to do so, writes Paresh C Palicha.

Sometimes title of a film is enough to tell you what it is about and your interest in watching that film is merely to know the approach of the director in tackling the subject.

Escape from Uganda is one such venture by director Rajesh Nair with Rima Kallingal and Vijay Babu in the lead. The story is said to be inspired by real incidents, but we can see influences from Indian and foreign films especially from the genre called prison movies.

Shikha Samuel (Rima Killingal) and Jayakrishnan (Vijay Babu) have eloped and made Uganda their home with the help of Advocate Firoz (Mukesh), who is practising law there. The couple is leading a happy life with a girl child of their own. Jayakrishnan is employed as a manager in a coffee shop and Shikha runs a designer boutique of her own. The tranquillity of their life is shattered when Shikha is arrested on the charges of committing two murders, one of the victim is the daughter of the local Mayor, who has pledged to keep her in jail for the rest of her life.

The situation is grim and the atrocities against our lady in jail increase. To add to this, Firoz is shot dead in his office, making Jayakrishnan sure that it will be impossible for him to free his wife by the book, so he calls Antony (Parthiban), who had offered to help him for money claiming that he was the only one who had successfully escaped from that high security prison.

The major part of the second half is devoted to the planning of the escape with characters moving from one place to next as if taking us on a guided tour of the African country. All this compels us to wonder how Antony, who has supposedly broken free from a jail, is moving around without a worry in the world. This is just one of the many questions that occupy our minds much after the movie is over and we are back in the comfort of our homes.

There are a few twists in the tale with the good guys and the bad guys turning tables on each other a couple of times before heading towards a very predictable end.

22 Female Kottayam as far as suffering in the jail is concerned. Thankfully the similarity ends there, here the lanky lady has to indulge in physical action like kicking and boxing policemen double her size. And, as if this was not enough, she is made to sprint with her leading man at a speed that would put Usain Bolt to shame!

Vijay Babu has to be consistent in keeping his face sombre throughout, except for the time he is shown taking care of his daughter virtually as a single parent.

Parthiban has to double up as the action man and the comedian, which he tries to do uttering the lines that would make the front benchers happy.

Escape from Uganda is a film that tries to thrill but fails to do so as desired.

Rating:**

http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/review-escape-from-uganda-is-not-up-to-the-mark-south/20131202.htm

Bicycle Thieves reviews from Rediff!

Paresh C Palicha says debutante director Jimson Joy tries to combine an old-style narrative with so-called ‘new gen’ cinema in Bicycle Thieves, but fails to get it right.

Two steps forward one step backward is what you feel after watchingBicycle Thieves directed by newcomer Jis Joy.

It begins with an orphaned child Chacko narrating his Dickensian life story of debt-ridden parents committing suicide and being raised by his evil uncle and aunt, who treat him worse than a servant.

One night, after watching the 1990 film Kalikkalam, Chacko runs away with his cousin’s new cycle and joins the gang of Bose Prakash (Salim Kumar).

The gang specialises in robbing cycles. There are two other kids with him, Ramesh and Rahim.

The grown up versions of the kids are played by Asif Ali (Chacko), Saiju Kurup (Ramesh) and Bineesh Kodiyeri (Rahim). They become more ambitious and plan to loot a rich businessman on the highway.

After the theft, Ramesh runs away with the bounty. The others accuse Chacko of being an accomplice of Ramesh. The gang splits due to this misunderstanding.

From here on it becomes Chacko’s story; the other three just vanish into thin air.

Chacko continues his thieving activities. Enter Meera (Aparna Gopinath), who eventually becomes his love interest.

Kashi (Vijay Babu), an alcoholic criminal lawyer employs Chacko as part-time chauffeur. KPAC Lalitha plays the owner of the house where Meera is a paying guest, and is the mother figure. We wonder where all this is headed as there is no connection between the initial build up and where the proceedings stand at the end of the first half. By the end of the film, your head is reeling connecting all the plot points.

Asif Ali does his best as the melancholic orphan who opens up when he finds love in people around him. But he needed a stronger storyline to make his efforts pay.

Another actor we feel sorry for is Vijay Babu, who gets out of his comfort zone to play a loud mouthed lawyer.

The rest of the cast, including seasoned campaigners KPAC Lalitha and Siddique, look clueless in a film that seems to have gone haywire from the first scene itself.

The director tries to combine an old-style narrative with so-called ‘new gen’ cinema, and falls somewhere in between. The film is neither here nor there.

Rating:**

http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/review-bicycle-thieves-fails-to-impress-south/20131203.htm

VediVazhupaddu Review From Rediff!

Paresh C Palicha says that Vedivazhipadu tries too hard to ‘new gen’ formula and fails miserably.

Young and upcoming directors in Malayalam use ‘shock and awe’ tactics to get the audience’s attention. They also believe in creating controversy if the content is weak.

Young director Shambhu Purushothaman does both, intentionally or unintentionally, in his first film Vedivazhipadu, a word that means something really gross. The censor board refused to issue it a certificate the first time round, which helped create the controversy.

The film follows the ‘a day in the lives of’ format and that day happens to be Attukal Pongala, the world famous ladies-only festival.

After establishing the festive atmosphere of the capital city in documentary style camera work by Shehnad Jalal, the focus shifts to the plot.

Three friends, Sanjay (Saiju Kurup), Pradeep (Sreejith Ravi) and Rahul (Murali Gopy), have made secret plans for the day when their wives will be away attending the festival.

Sanjay, who is a cashier in a bank, is married to Rashmi (Anusree), a bold and outgoing TV journalist who is a star in her own right. She has been covering the Pongala live for her channel. It does not take us long to guess who is the boss here.

Pradeep is an investor in stocks and does his business with the help of stockbroker Joseph (Indrajith). Pradeep is married to Vidya (Mythili), a French teacher. They are mismatched, as he looks rustic and she is sophisticated.

Rahul is a geeky video games tester working from home. He is married to Radhika (Anjana), a docile housewife.

On the said day, the friends gather in Rahul’s apartment. They have booze and a woman (Anumol) and plans to enjoy themselves.

The film swings from being a crude sex comedy (with many dialogues beeped) to being a philosophical exploration of the man-woman relationship, and ends up being nothing.

A couple of subplots--like the one where Rashmi handles sexual advances by her foreign-returned boss--try to make a point. Likewise, the conversation between Vidya and Joseph about long distance relationships and being physically faithful in such a relationship, tries to add some depth to the proceedings.

The ensemble cast is not utilised to its full capacity as every male actor except Indrajith seems to act in a uniformly loud manner in an effort to be funny. If you are interested in knowing who is the loudest of them all, Saiju Kurup will win hands down. The women fare a little better.

Vedivazhipadu makes an effort to add sparkle to the so-called ‘new gen’ formula, but ends up being a damp squib.

Rating:*1/2

http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/review-vedivazhipadu-is-a-damp-squib-south/20131213.htm

Ivan Veramathiri Review from Rediff!

Ivan Veramathiri lacks the simplicity, depth and magic of Director M Saravanan’s last film Engeyum Eppodhum, writes S Saraswathi. 

Director M Saravanan hit the jackpot with his first film, Engeyum Eppodhum, which won him both critical acclaim as well as box office success. 

For his second venture, Ivan Veramathiri, which is already the talk of the town (releasing in over 500 screens worldwide), he has teamed up with Vikram Prabhu ofKumki fame. 

The film also stars debutant Surabhi, Ganesh Venkatraman, Vamsi Krishna and Hariraj. 

Ivan Veramathiri is produced by UTV Motion Pictures in association with N. Lingusamy's Thirupati Brothers. 

The film opens with a violent incident in the city law college, instigated by the law minister Sadasivam, who is angry that his demand for seats under the minister’s quota was not met. 

Even as the students are mercilessly beaten to death, indifferent policemen, curious onlookers and the media stand around doing nothing. A few insensitive ones even take pictures and shoot videos. 

Three lives are lost and as the incident is reported by all the TV channels and radio shows, people are outraged, but feel completely helpless because the culprit is a powerful minister. 

Gunasekaran (Vikram Prabhu), a student in search of a job, is deeply affected by the incident and decides to take matters into his own hands. 

The minister’s brother, Eeswaran (Vamsi Krishna), is out on parole for a couple of weeks and needs to be handed over to the police before a particular date. 

Gunasekaran kidnaps Eeswaran and keeps him hidden at a deserted construction site. His plan is to have the minister arrested for parole violation and helping a criminal escape. 

Malini (Surabhi) plays his love interest. She is a cute, happy and naïve engineering student. Surabhi is perfectly cast and brightens up all the scenes she appears in with her bubbly, innocent character and seems totally natural and fresh. 

Ganesh Venkatraman as Aravindan, a police officer, turns up only after the first half and though he has very little to do, he seems competent. 

Vamsi Krishna appears quite intimidating and has given an admirable performance. . 

Vikram Prabhu, who impressed us with his realistic performance as a simple lungi-clad mahout in Kumki, seems comfortable in the urban setting of this film. 

The spark, however, seems to be missing. His romantic scenes with Surabhi seem awkward and stilted and he really needs to work on his dance moves. 

His character of a common man, frustrated, angry and saddened by the unlawfulness and senseless violence that people have come to accept as an everyday occurrence, is not very convincing. 

The plot of the film seems to have been taken from the Chennai Ambedkar Law College violence that happened a few years ago. The film starts brilliantly but does not maintain the suspense or pace. 

It picks up pace in the second half, but some of the scenes are too cinematic. 

Director M Saravanan raised the bar for himself with his incredible debut; unfortunately, Ivan Veramathiri lacks the simplicity, depth and magic of Engeyum Eppodhum. 

Music by C Sathya, editing by A Sreekar Prasad and cinematography by Shakthi are all well done. 

Rating:**1/2

http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/review-ivan-veramathiri-is-an-average-entertainer/20131213.htm