Review of ‘Maaya’: Slow, simple but engaging thriller

The slowness and less illustrated 'vision' element makes for a subdued experience

Rating: 3/5

Cast: Harshavardhan Rane, Avanthika Mishra, Sushma Raj, Nandini Rai, Nagababu
Director: Neelakanta
Producer: M.K.V Reddy
Music Director: Shekar Chandra
Presented by: Madhura Sreedhar
CBFC Rating: U/A
Run Time: 120 Minutes
Release Date: August 1st, 2014

Genre:

Thriller-Romance-Drama

Plot:

Meghana (Avanthika), a young TV reporter with a social duty, meets Sidharth Varma (Harsha Vardhan), a prominent fashion designer from Delhi, who comes to Hyderabad to promote regional dressing materials. Meghana, who loves his work already, is assigned to film a documentary on his work. As they slowly reach a congenial space together, Meghana starts having these visions about deaths of people that she may witness in future, not for the first time, because of her special ability called ESP (Extrasensory Perception) or Sixth sense. As she discovers that Sidharth is already engaged to her childhood best friend Puja (Sushma), she also sees a disturbing vision involving them.

Continued@Telugoos...

Review of ‘Drishyam’: ‘picture’-smart

An intelligent film and an engaging watch.

An uneducated but smart individual rises up to the challenge to save his family from the consequences of an accidental event. The movie starts by introducing the important characters and their relationships with a tinge of humour.

The turning point comes when the family gets an unwanted visitor...Contd@Telugoos

Review of ‘Oohalu Gusagusalade’: Less ‘romance’, more ‘drama’, abrupt ‘ending’

“Oohalu Gusagusalade’, even though is a predictable drama, has the ingredients to make the viewer sit till the end: A fresh young couple with good chemistry between them, dialogues with a sense of humour, good cinematography and enjoyable music. Full review... here@telugoos

Review of ‘Manam’: Charming and entertaining | telugoos.com

#ANR #Nagarjuna #Akkineni #Tollywood #FilmReview

‘#Manam’, the last movie of ‘Nata Samrat,’ late Dr. Akkineni Nageswara Rao has made a decent use of the three generations heroes from the Akkineni family. Akkineni Sr., understandably has a comparatively small role to play. The three actors borrowed each other’s names for the names of their characters. Nagarjuna is ‘Nageswara Rao’, Naga Chaitanya is ‘Nagarjuna’ and Dr. Nageswara Rao is ‘Chaitanya’ in this one-of-its-kind movie…… Full review here

Review of 'Rush(2013)': Adrenaline, Passion & Drama

Genre:

Action-Biography-Drama

Plot: 

The racing rivalry(?) between the two former F1 drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda in and outside the race track, around 1976 with a little added drama, I presume.

The Director's Angle: 

The relation between two adamant competing persons at the peak levels and what makes the difference there blended with  perfectly comple-menting drama.

Strong Point:

The race visuals  which are rushing as good as the real F1, if not better, that is.

Music:

The background score adds to the visuals immensely.

'Critic'al View:

'Rush' starts with how Nickie introduces his rivalry with James, and the backdrop of it, while a race is going to start. James, a lover boy with girls queueing after him and Nickie, a technical expert on cars, both besides being the unmatchable drivers that they are.

The interactions between the two racers are handled well and exemplary, especially after what they go through. And the humour attached to the dialogues at different stages is engaging.

Different strokes for different folks, even though they share a passion.

The movie, interestingly,  does go, one, two steps deep into the dangers and technicalities of racing at high speeds, which can take lives at the instance of a minute miscalculation on part of the driver or the team. 

Its good on movie's part to show the glimpses of the real persons at the end of the movie(below is a pic of them).

And there is some typical nudity, FYI.

Quotes:

• Nickie to a girl(who is provoking him to drive fast): There is no need to drive fast. It just increases the percentage of risk. We are not in a hurry. I am not being paid. Right now, it's your incentive or reward. Why would I drive fast?
• [***SPOILERS*** Nickie to James: Trust me, watching you win those races, while I was fighting for my life, you were equally responsible for getting me back in the car. ***SPOILERS***]

Rating: 4.5/5 

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

All in all, 'Rush' makes for a two hours of fascinating watch.

Review of 'Shaadi ke side/effects':

Genre:

Comedy-Drama-Romance

Plot: 

Sid and Trisha are happily married with some sort of understanding between them. But can it last long especially with a child coming into their life?

The Director's Angle: 

A family person may need some space for self even after marriage, but how far can (s)he really go looking for it makes the subject.

Strong Point:

Humour attached to the storyline.

Music:

songs were entertaining with a touchy beats and catchy lyrics, even though i couldn't catch many

'Critic'al View:

The movie starts with a confident young married guy who seems to know how to keep his married life happy, But he panics soon as he becomes a father and tries to adjust himself to his new 'family'.

The movie does exaggerate some aspects for the sake of humor.For an example, the ordeals of fathers in a supposed kids play. And the side effects that the title mentions were mostly one sided. But the director did try to make amends in this aspect with a hint at the end of the movie.

All the characters were carefully drafted and meticulously used.

Quotes:

• Farhan's advise to a married guy: जब गलती मै करता हू, sorry मै बोलता हू और जब मेरी बीवी गलती करेगी,  sorry मै बोलता हू (When i make a mistake, i say sorry and when my wife makes a mistake, i say sorry)

Rating: 3.5/5

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

The movie has succeeded in focusing on the issue that relates to most of the audiences in one way or the other.

Movies with similar Storyline(partly/broadly):

Life as We Know It (2010)

About Time(2013) : Loving life as one lives it

Genre:

drama-fantasy-romance

Plot: 

Tim is young and is part of a happy family of five with a sister and an uncle. On his 21st birthday he learns about the unbelievable family secret from his father that the men in the family can travel back in time. His utilization and non-utilization of this time traveling at different situations of his life makes for an interesting watch.

Director's Angle: 

The director attempts to convince a viewer on the point of how to proceed with the daily routine that the life offers to each of us.

'Critic'al View:

The movie sails on smoothly through out with situations tailor made to suit genuinely to the fantasy element that carries the film. 

The relations between the main lead and various persons in his life are depicted beautifully including the romance between the two main leads. The situations that narrow down Tim's time traveling escapades are logical and intriguing.

Honestly, I can't make out whether the plot was thought of in order to make the point that the movie makes at the end or it was just stumbled upon the end point during the development of the plot.

The music composition enriches the situational mood completely.

***SPOILERS*** 

At times in the movie, Tim uses his time traveling to change certain mis-happenings. So when he says at the end of the movie that he doesn't use time traveling anymore meaning that one doesn't need time traveling in order to be happy, there seems to be a contradiction. 

***SPOILERS***

Be warned. There is some sensuality.

Quotes:

• In the opening remarks, Tim inadvertently introduces his father to the viewer with the line, "he always seemed to have time in his hand", which turns out to be half true(as he can't go into future) as we go into the later part of the story.
• Tim at the end says, "We're all traveling through time together, every day of our lives. All we can do is do our best to relish this remarkable ride".

Rating: 4/5 

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

The movie is full of positivity and encouragement towards facing life with a cheer. Alas, If only it was that easy.

Review of 'Highway': towards freedom

Genre:

Drama-romance

Plot: 

Mahabir(Randeep) is a theif who accidentally gets hold of Veera(Alia), as his men uses her as a hostage while robbing a petrol bunk, where Veera herself reaches while fooling around with a friend, the night before her wedding,in which she wasn't really interested in. But when Mahabir gets to know that she is the daughter of a well known rich family, he tries to hide her at various places before asking for ransom, even as the search for them intensifies. As the relation between them deepens they try to find a way out of the tangle they are in.

The Director's Angle: 

The movie portrays two persons aggrieved with the happenings in their life coming together incidentally and search for freedom and peace in their own way.

Strong Point:

The showcasing of how the relation between the two lead characters gradually change.

Music:

The title song has already got the applause even before the movie release. The background score and other songs were situational.

'Critic'al View:

Veera is the young member of a wealthy(closed!) family, being which she feels suffocated. And Mahabir is a member(rather leader) of a thieves(rather dacoits) group, who is sick of rich people,  who, according to him, are looting every one . Both characters have strong personalities and emotions that come out at various junctures. 

The depiction of the slow change in the feelings between Veera and Mahabir is smooth and realistic enough for their, rather diverse backgrounds.

Randeep is so natural in the character that he suits better to that rather than his original self. Alia too is convincing in most part of the movie, except in few emotional scenes, but she gives her best in the climax scene, where it is crucial.

Good use of the plot to show scenic beauties of the high north. It should also be appreciated for highlighting one of the serious societal problems India is facing for a long time, now.

Quotes:

• Alia: तुम मुझे जहा से लेके आये हो वहा मै फिर से जाना नहीं चाहती,   जहा लेके जा रहे हो वहा भी जाना नहीं चाहती, लेकिन ये रास्ता बहुत अच्छा है, मै इसे छोड़ना नहीं चाहती ( I neither want to go back to the place from where you brought me, nor to the place where you are going to take me, but this road is very good, i don't want to leave it)

• A group Member: देखते रहो, एक दिन तु कुत्ते कि मौत मरेगा (See, you'll die like a dog one day) Randeep: अरे , कुत्ते, कुत्ते कि मौत ही मर सकता है, और कैसे मरेगा? (hey, Dogs can only die like dogs, how else can they die?)

Rating: 3/5 

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

The movie sure makes you feel connected but falls short of really inspiring one.

Movies with similar Storyline(partly/broadly):

Qayamat se Qayamat tak, Into the wild

Review of 'Traffic': 'conveying right signals'

Genre:

Drama

Plot: 

An accident and several people's personal affairs and emotions were attached to a heart transplant surgery and a human heart has to be transported on road through 170 km under difficult circumstances inside 90 minutes.

The Director's Angle: 

The movie depicts the emotions of different persons involved beautifully and under realistic enough circumstances.

Strong Point:

The screen play that was taken care of even minute things adding to the viewer's pleasure. 

Logic: 

• The importance of why the heart needs to be transported with in a time limit() wasn't mentioned anywhere.
• [***SPOILERS*** I couldn't see why the part of how the girl reached the hospital bed needing a heart transplant was not shown at all. ***SPOILERS***]

Music:

The movie has only one song at the beginning which wasn't boring and the background sound was mostly on track except at very few scenes where it overshadows the emotion of characters.

                          

'Critic'al View:

The story starts with the introduction of several persons from different strata of society in a city, who are going to play an important role in each others life directly or indirectly on a fateful day. 

The first half deals with the  strenuous inter-relations between the four groups of people facing different circumstances in their lives. And the second half thrills with the suspense around the heart reaching the hospital on road.

The movie portrays reactions of different people when they are forced into an emotionally draining situation with a small added excitement.

The movie does have a few offbeats in between making it loose some steam at times.

Rating: 3/5 

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

A fresh movie with a feel attached.

Movies with similar Storyline(partly/broadly):

Disconnect(2012), Pulp Fiction(1994), Traffic(2000)

Review of 'Paisa': Nani 'Scores', but Movie 'sours'

Genre:

Drama

Plot: 

Prakash unknowingly gets hold of 50 crore rupees that were to be used in a by-poll for an MLA seat, but by the time he gets to know of them, there are different groups of people searching for them.

The Director's Angle: 

The director ventured to tell a dramatic play between people in the quest for money with a tinge of humor.

Strong Point:

Nani's almost brilliant performance

Music:

The title song is catchy and the racy background score is good.       

                    

'Critic'al View:

The movie starts on a jerky note with different political parties talking about spending crores in a by-poll election for an MLA seat and moves on to descent introduction of lead characters. But then it starts loosing the flow with several hard cuts from scene to scene. 

There's also a casual approach towards building up the second half in choosing how the chase for money goes on and ends without any thrilling element involved. Also there is an under usage of characters with the story limiting itself to very little.

Bloopers:

• Some scenes clearly shows that they were shot with actors in front of a screen showing the place rather than on location.

Rating: 2/5 

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

The movie fails to live up to the expectations as it is so linear, i.e without any turns, twists or any stir-up.

Who can watch:

Who like to see Nani's Dhoni-like single-handed performance in a loosing cause.

Movies with similar Storyline(partly/completely):

Swami ra ra, Kshana Kshanam, No Country for Old Men.

Review of 'Heart Attack': As catastrophic as it can get

               

Genre:

drama-romance

Plot: 

Varun(may be a PIO) is a self proclaimed hippie(search for exact meaning) with no goals in life. He doesn't know any one and doesn't want to love any one. But he gets attracted towards 'Hayaathi'. And all this happens not in India, but in Spain.

Music:

One song is good, everything else not that bad though.

'Critic'al View:

There is a very thin line between showing love in a descent and indecent manner. This movie mostly is on the wrong side of that line. The delicacy that a love story needs is missing through out the movie. 

Everything else in the movie is just routine with some fights and villainy.

Even though there is an appreciable thing in making a marriage between an african and an indian, it also ends in a slightly bad taste, if i may say so.

It is sad that most of the love story can have a bad influence on the society.

Rating: 1/5 

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

Finally, the movie fails to impress with the mechanical love story it portrays.

Review of '1(Nenokkadine)': 1 to 'n'th stage of hallucination

               

Genre:

Action-Thriller-Mystery-drama

Plot: 

Gautham is a rockstar who has these realtime dreams(hallucinations of 'n'th stage as per sukumar's Arya2) of three people who he thinks killed his parents 20 years ago when he was a child. But he still thinks they are for real. A TV journalist 'Samira' tries to get his complete story while letting herself mingle into the riddle. The plot goes through several swift and some smooth twists and turns as he chases these dreams weather they are for real or not.

The Director's Angle: 

The movie keeps us guessing through out the movie which is real and which isn't, the director largely succeeded in handling a big subject(with several layers attached) logically and thrillingly for most of the part.

Strong Point:

The subject-matter of the story which is very fresh, experimental and brainstorming.

Logic: 

• Most of the story follows logic, which is sometimes reaches different levels of intelligent play between characters. 

Music:

The background score suits the emotional drama that the subject demands, songs were okay.

                        

'Critic'al View:

The story opens with a dream and then the only song of the rockstar that we will be knowing, unfortunately a let down as Devi's voice hasn't suited mahesh at all. Right after the song, he kills one of those 3 killers and surrenders himself to police. 

But the Tv journalist Samira who shoots the killing reveals some interesting facts and from there on joins Gautam's chase to find solace. The first half keeps the audience in check at each point with a tad of confusion. But the interval ends on a high with the audience getting some sort of idea about whats real and what was he hallucinating. 

That's not all!, There are more surprises to come which may or may not be hallucinations and how every one including Gautam try to use them to their own advantage. As the movie reaches climax, there comes some more twists and turns(some 'U' turns as well). 

Quotes:

• Just before the Interval, Gautam says to a rival, "నువ్ ఉపిరి పీల్చడం వల్ల కాదురా, నేను ఉహించుకోవడం వల్ల  బతికున్నావ్ (you are alive not because of your breathing, but because of my dreaming)"

Bloopers:

• A person in your hallucination can't push you physically, as external physical force can't be hallucinated(as in first fight).
• Some superhuman fight sequences.

Rating: 4/5 

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

There are some loose ends but it's an absolute hallucinating thriller but takes some time to get you into the groove.

Who can watch:

Every one, as it's a unique experiment especially in Telugu films. People who can travel with the logic of the movie will appreciate it.

Movies with similar Storyline(partly/broadly):

Identity, Shutter Island, Prison Break series

Review of 'Yevadu': Two in 'one'

               

Genre:

Drama

Plot: 

a protagonist who is somehow a combination of two persons takes revenge against foes.

The Director's Angle: 

There seems to be only one main thought that makes two persons into one, around which the director built the story with emotional touches.

Strong Point:

The main background song which was used all through the movie(though i think, its used excessively)

Logic: 

The first half of the movie moves around not so sound logic but works out just fine. But one can find a number of illogical acts or things in the movie.

Music:

As i mentioned above, the background music is good along eight two other songs and the reaming songs were okay(but, some visuals are a little bit awkward to watch as usual)               

                          

'Critic'al View:

The story starts in a hurry and rushes through out the first half without ease but with some bits and pieces of logical(?) tactics. Also Bramhanandam's comedy in first half doesn't add up to much, other than one or two laughs. The interval break reaches as the protagonist finishes his rival with ease. It feels like a climax.

The second half reveals another side of the story and creates new challenges for the lead. And a flashback a little long pushes us heavily towards the real climax which is again easily gets finished without any real fuss(which we expect).

The routine stylish heroism through out the movie doesn't really help the story.

The dances are good, but can never become significant part of storytelling.

Quotes:

• In the climx, when a sword pierces through him accidentally, Kota Srinivasa Rao says "యోవ్ చూస్కొబల్లె"  (hey, can't you see[where your sword is going]).

Bloopers:

• 'Police' are mostly prohibited in the movie.
• Fights as usual will show superhuman power vested in persons.

Rating: 2.5/5 

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

The movie is a routine emotional drama, but with a tinge of thrill but lacking a gripping point in the story and screenplay.

Who can watch:

some thrill, emotional drama and of course, dances are the words.

Movies with similar Storyline(partly/completely):

Face/off