ROCKSTAR - Ranbir's entry to the elite league

A lot of us were really looking forward to watching this movie mainly because of A.R.Rahman's music. The Mozart from Madras had the world taken by storm by providing an album that encompassed music from various genres and feel.

The Question: Did the movie live up to the expectations?
My Answer: Kind of....

POSITIVES!

1. A.R.Rahman's music was already a mass hit...but the background score was stupendous.... Mohit Chauhan's voice was the perfect choice for Jordan (Ranbir Kapoor).... The 'Sher-o-wali Ma' track reminded me of the freshness displayed in the "Iyappa" track from the movie Boys (Tamil). Also, all the songs in the album have been given to perfectly match the on screen situation.Whether it is the freshness in Phir se Ud Chala, Joy in Katiya Karun, Darkness in Aur ho, Desperate Hope in Nadaan Parindey or Anger in Sadda Haq...... A.R.R proves that he is a class above the rest.
2. Ranbir Kapoor definitely!! The Kapoor kid has issued a stamp of authority with his mature portrayal of Jordan....a character that previously goes through many transitions due to the high's and low's of his life..... from a simpleton musician Janardhan Jhakad (JJ). We see 2 very different Ranbir Kapoors in the movie. Also, he carries simple scenes with natural acting rather than supreme overacting displayed by many of his current competitors. He could have screamed a little less at times...but still...on the whole...a performance worthy of a filmfare award.
3. Camerawork and Cinematography was great.....Superb locales and unique shots have become a common criteria for films to focus on, in order to cut competition... but the camerawork for songs like Sadda Haq, Nadaan Parindey and Phir se Ud Chala showed that the entire unit was soaking in the nectar of music composed by Rahman. That translated on to the visuals and the viewers were in for a treat. Most importantly, when Jordan performed on stage, the cinema audience felt that they were a part of his concert. To achieve that amount of realistic connection is commendable.
4. Imtiaz Ali has to be given credit for writing this story and attempting to make a movie like Rockstar. Lets face it...it ain't the run of the mill Bolly masala.....neither does it have a widespread target audience. So if Rockstar manages to recover it's cost and make decent profits, everyone will be pleasantly surprised..... But Imtiaz Ali made this movie for it's true meaning and essence.... kudos for that.

NEGATIVES! (Well i did answer "Kind of...")

1. Nargis Fakhri did have a new look ..... but honestly the audience gets an overdose of her....her character 'Heer' seems to stall the flow of the movie....Though Heer (in the movie) is responsible for the creation of Jordan the Rockstar, character Heer is mainly responsible for compromising the script and screenplay (mainly in the second half). 
2. SECOND HALF RULE!  It is an universal but unsaid law...."IF A BAD MOVIE HAS A GOOD SECOND HALF, THINGS MIGHT WORK, BUT IF A POTENTIALLY GREAT MOVIE HAS A POOR SECOND HALF (Even in relative comparison), THAT AFFECTS THE AUDIENCE ADVERSELY! " The First half of Rockstar is mind blowing....and the 2nd half just does not sustain the same amount of steam.....things move back and forth.....the audience lose the flow..... the main attraction in the second half is the video of Nadaan Parindey....Also, the movie ends in a weird manner that can be left to the audience's perception...
3. Direction, Editing and Screenplay missing a few tricks ...... Ali and gang have attempted a different narrating style and the movie tends to move in both directions. Also, songs are edited in portions....tracks used in different places....this formula works well in the first half , but loses itself in the second....can leave many people in the audience confused and irritated. 

OVERALL VERDICT!

• Rockstar is definitely worth a watch but don't go with too many expectations.
• It could have been great if the second half had more focus and structure.
• I am giving Rockstar 4 on 5 (Actually 3....but 1 point for A.R.Rahman's genius contribution) 
• Ranbir Kapoor is here to stay!

Velayudham: Vijay's redemption after Gilli

DISCLAIMER: By watching Ra.ONE first, i am hoping that my ability to write an unbiased accurate review has not been compromised..... May God be with me!


After such a long time, Ilayathalapathy Vijay gives me a reason to write a movie review..... After Gilli , Velayudham was the only movie that registered similar IMDB ratings of 7.2...

I enjoyed the movie.... and wish to highlight the pros and cons..
THUMBS UP:

1. Interesting start.....Hero introduction very different from previous movies....
2. First half has a great narration style...
3. Throughout the movie, there are some good twists...hence the audience remain guessing and interest is sustained to a great extent...
4. Comedy quotient is high..beats it's Diwali competitors by light years....
5. Hansika scores high points with her expressions and lip sync, while Genelia looks ravishing! Both the heroines form a combo visual treat for the masses.
6. SANTHANAM...that should say it all
7. Vijay has given a good performance....he has excelled in the sentimental scenes with his sister played by Saranya... As usual , dance and action scenes are done easily by him... HIS USUAL OVERACTING AND ON SCREEN GIMMICKS have reduced by a ton...
8. Unlike many of his earlier movies....the story is good....very Shankarish  feel...appeals to the masses...deals with corruption and terrorism...

THUMBS DOWN:

1. Background score is good....songs are ok..but as usual...the timing of these songs seem abrupt and disturb the flow of what would be a proper fast paced movie..... commercial elements do compromise the quality of cinema in our industry.
2. Every Hero needs a worthy Nemesis....that is seriously missing here....
3. Unnecessary usage of ordinary graphics in certain scenes and song sequences....seems to be the trend...
4. Negative points for Director Raja's blatant visual xerox of Assassins  Creed (without even mentioning the reference in the credits)
5. Some scenes that portray crimes against women go past a limit...could have avoided those instances...
6. Negative points for Vijay's sudden attempt in the end to showcase his '6pack' abs (more like a 4pack)....not necessary..it is evident that he has worked on his fitness but this 'Ab' Craze among all heroes in Bollywood and Kollywood is 'ABS'olutely Irritating....

OVERALL VERDICT:

A good entertainer...paisa vasool for the entire family.... miles ahead of Vijay's usual movies...

Velayudham gets the mix right for a Diwali release....

Definitely worth a watch..

RATING: 4 / 5

DIWALI RELEASE VERDICT:

Watch 7am Arivu for script, content and Shruti Hassan  ;)

Watch Velayudham for maximum entertainment and paisa vasool

Watch Ra.One if you are a techno geek and have excess money to blow.