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Looks like these days only movies make me to Blog. Should I blame it on Work or not, I seriously dont know. I find very little time spending time in front of my personal laptop. Even If I do, that's only to catch a 40 minute episode. Going back to Chola Days... First Collective Thought after the movie .. What the Fuck...
Should we call it the directors Obsession .. Too much of blood, sex and violence and death... Yeah we have witnessed all of these in a number of western films but to a tamil film, Yeah we do have it in quite a few films, but Aariyathil Oruvan takes a leap ahead of all of them and stays on top. That's the first thing anybody will say, when you ask them for the movie review.
Is the movie enjoyable? That's a question that I am still figuring out to answer. First half of the film was enjoyable Thanks to only Karthi, but for him I think I would have washed the blood from myself when coming out of the theatre. We all afforded ourselves to laugh a bit only due to his presence. Somehow the actor was able to bring smiles to everyone in the hall with his body language and mannerisms. There are lots of unanswered questions in the movie that actually makes the film unlikable. Come on, Selva, you can't expect us to understand everything, I am not talking about the History behind the Cholas/Pandiyas, the story in that area is understandable as to why and what for the group searches for their existence. Its the thing revolving around that which is actually confusing.
Movie starts off well, enough you to make you sit upright in the hall, tells us of a little flashback for 5 minutes and cut to present era. I am not sure why Andrea isn't shown with some good make up. Visibly you see all pimples on her face. Or was it done on purpose that a archaeologist will be bound to have them spending a lot of time under the sun. ---- So the entire crew board a ship to some distant unpronounceable island. Things all go well here. The plot from here till the interval is all fresh to Present day tamil cinema. We have seen things like these in times of "Kanavane Kan Kanda Deivam' and around it. Those long expedition to find some magical cure or the heart of Green Parrot etc etc:- But then quite a visual treat. Karthi here kind of steel the shows, You see all of Selvaraghavan usual touch here. You kind of get well into the movie expect for some very very poor CG works. Film even goes at great speed and lands straight into 'Un Mela aasadhan' right when you expect it. After the end of the song, thats when the movie goes haywire.
Why the heck does Reema, Andrea and Karthi lose their sense, make weird faces, strip and go out of control. That's when the movie goes out of control too. For a period of 10 minutes, you don't know what the heck happened and the whole thought of whether you like the film or not gets into your head. Having heard enough things about R.Parthiban in the movie, you expect him to rock in the second half. But he is a comedy piece in the movie. First of all, though Tamil, it was difficult to comprehend what exactly they say, add to it the Gory human faces and the set. The whole treatment makes you Yuck!!! Understood it is fantasy, but then still Reema Sens little flash back somehow doesn't justify. It just didn't attach itself to the story. Well forget to write about the Lord Siva's shadow scene. That was very impressive at least I liked it. Fantasies like these are understandable and it went along with the movie but then I couldn't stand myself to see Reema sen honing a Magicians Hat. Comes Parthiban,real comedy piece in the movie, His body language, way of speech and the King's greasepaint actually humiliates the actor.
'Thai Thindra Manne' - What a wonderful composition from G V Prakash, but then in the movie though it fits well into the situation, the lead actor and actress saltation makes it worse and makes the song unlikable. Lyrics of 'Thai Thindra Manne' actually talks about the gist of the Chola Kingdom stay in the dark ( per the movie fantasy ) but then with the body language of Parthiban and Reema for the song, actually makes it a mockery. I wish the dialogues rendered at least was like the lyrics of this song, but then it was too core or I don't know what to call it, you sometimes wish you had a subtitle for what they speak. Well what about G V Prakash, by the time you are in the climax of the movie, the BGM becomes a noise which was till then was pleasant and astounding. I just wished wont they mute the BGM and show the war scene at the end of the movie. Malai Neram, for those of you who haven't watched th emovie, don't expect this song in the movie. This Song won't even fit into the trailer of this movie, I wonder why they then even composed this song, I just wish Selvaraghavan uses this song in his coming movies, I am not sure if he will ever take a movie in which Malai Neram Fits.
Was the film a visual treat? Visuals Yes.. Visuals which are completely new to Tamil Cinema. Treat.. LOL... you can't really call it a treat though. Who has the more weightage in the movie? Before the movie it was rumored that Karthi in the first half and Parthiban in the movie. No, its Reema Sen.Definitely not a family entertainer. I was surprised to see actually a lot of families turn up in the theater. When I say Family, I mean thata,patti, appa, amma, annan akka, kutti pasanga. etc ect. a little crowd of 10. I wonder what would have been their reaction after the movie. What they would be speaking after the movie.
Enough. I will stop it here. Time is running late.. Remind you, he is the one who was behind PudhuPettai, Yaradi Nee Mohini's Telugu Version and Kadhal Konden. Director has gone leaps and bounds in visualizing this script. He has attempted a film which none of his contemporaries would dare to attempt. Seriously a Himalayan taskbut then What good it is, if it doesn't entertain you and leaves you perplexed.
