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

Jackpot Review from Rediff!

Jackpot is a very confused film, feels Paloma Sharma.

Kaizad Gustad is back with Jackpot after his last film, Boom.

Yes, that Boom.

Much like Boom (I shudder every time I say it), Jackpot too stars a creepy old rich man and a young cunning seductress.

Only this time, he does you the courtesy of adding a creepy young-ish guy and his 'lukkha' friends -- just to keep it original, you know?

Doublechin Joshi... I mean, Sachiin Joshi... stars as Francis, the leader of a group of conmen. He and his friends plan to con a casino owner -- who goes by the name of Boss (Naseeruddin Shah) -- with the help of Boss's secretary/girlfriend/casino manager/squeeze Maya (Sunny Leone).

But Boss has bigger plans for them and when things go downhill, loyalties shift.

Or at least I think that's what it was about.

Since Gustad uses extremely complicated storytelling techniques like non-linear narratives and hot girl breasts to distract you when things get too confusing, I decided to look take a man's perspective as well.

18-year-old theatre actor Arnav Thakker shares his views on the film, in a conversation with me:

He says: I don't think that even Kaizad Gustad knew what he was trying to say through the film.

She says: I honestly think he was trying to say, "Money, boobs, money, boobs, money, boobs."

He says: Boobs? Yeah, both male and female.

She says: Well, Joshi really did give Sunny Leone tough competition.

He says: (laughs) I don't know why he was in the film. (pauses) Didn't his wife produce the film?

She says: Forget that, why did Naseeruddin Shah even sign it?

He says: Money, boobs, money, boobs, money, boobs? Or maybe the head-mop he got to wear?

She says: Was that a mop? I thought it was a dead octopus.

He says: No, no. The octopus was Sunny Leone.

She says: (shocked) I honestly thought you liked her. I mean, all the guys are crazy about her.

He says: (blushing) Well... She's okay.

She says: And what about that scene where she strips down to her lingerie?

He says: Been there, done that -- the Internet way.

She says: So what if she's a porn star?

He says: I know people have judged her before she even started. But I have an issue that she doesn't even try.

She says: Fair enough. But the lead pair seemed to be trying too hard in that song, Kabhi Jo Badal Barse. It was such a nice song until the two of them walked into the frame.

He says: People were actually whistling at the end because it finally ended.

She says: It wasn't that bad. At least Makrand Deshpande played an extremely entertaining Goan Inspector Clouseau.

He says: (exclaims) Quarter of a star for Makrand Deshpande!

I was quite surprised to find that the Sunny Leone factor did not work even for the male half of the audience (and I'm secretly glad about it).

But I personally feel that we're coming down to hard on Sunny. It was Sachiin Joshi who was the real star of the film.

He's proved that he doesn't even need acting lessons -- because they won't change a thing.

Only go for Jackpot if you sat right until the end of the titles of Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag and yelled encore.

Rating:1/2

http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/review-jackpot-is-only-about-money-and-cleavage/20131213.htm

Vishudhan Movie Reviews from Times of India!

Story: The film showcases the life of a vicar who gets enmeshed in a series of events due to which he is forced to sacrifice all dear to him.

Working with a narrative that links psalms from the Bible to the deeds of characters, Vysakh dabbles in profound issues of morality, chastity and sin in his new film Vishudhan. A vicar and a nun are defrocked after there are allegations of a blasphemous relationship. A young girl trades her body for money and when questioned, she rebukes the purpose of reading out pastoral letters to the needy. A benign soul is scarred by personal losses and seeks bloody revenge, which then gets washed off in his remorseful tears.

A mist-drenched hamlet receives a new vicar played by Kunchako Boban and he initiates noble endeavours, ably assisted by a nun (Mia). Vavachan (Harish Peradi), the wily, pompous landlord is seldom enthused by the acts of the vicar that hinder his personal motives.

Vysakh makes ample use of biblical subtexts to portray an otherwise direct, simple conflict between the bad and the good. While doing so, his actions are marked by a lack of overemphasis, something that holds good for the whole purpose. Nandu who plays a drunken gravedigger pulls off painful, disturbing moments even as it may be jeered at for their cliched nature.

Vishudhan does throw up stereotypes and slight subtlety would have immensely helped the cause. Still the film has an unpretentious, lasting effect that comes out of certain sequences crafted with genuine moments so familiar to mankind. Shahnad Jalal lends fluidity to his frames, gently tracking the characters and capturing their close-ups in an unhurried, casual ease. 
Rating:***
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/malayalam/movie-reviews/Visudhan/movie-review/26301726.cms