Only when I watched a couple of musicals that I realized musicals can include conversations apart from songs. In that way almost all the Indian movies I watch are musicals. That was news to me - all long in my life I have been watching musicals naming it as normal movies!
All it started I watched Singin’ in the rain couple of weeks back. I vaguely remembered the title was in AFI’s top 100 Movies list and hence decided to buy the CD.. The tagline said MGM's Musical Treasure and I thought it would be good if it can make it to top 100. It was an amazing romantic comedy themed on the changes in film industry during 1927 when they switch to talking movies or talkies.
The first English musical I saw was so good that I decided to check out imdb list of top 50 musicals and then it happened. I saw the movie ‘Nayakan’ at the top of the list. I saw a couple more of Indian movies in top 10 and then I realized that all throughout my life I have been watching musicals. More Indian movies would have featured there if we all took time to vote for our regional movies.
One thing was sure –hell, I like musicals. I searched to get my hands on some more musicals and indeed I got some more – The sound of music, My Fair Lady, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Mary Poppins, and Aladdin. Till now, I have watched the sound of music and Sweeny Todd and I am delighted to have exploring this genre of movies.
The Sound of Music is a story about a wannabe nun, a captain and captain’s seven children. The story takes place in Austria in 1939 when the second world was about to begin. I personally feel that the movie is about following one’s instincts and I just love that concept.
Sweeny Todd, on the other hand is a story that took place in London in sixteenth century, I love the songs in the movie and you would love the movie if you like British English.
Warning: It is a Tim Burton movie and it is a bit violent.
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Raconteur Extraordinaire - Sreenivasan
Was discussing Malayalam movies with a friend the other day. And thought of writing my first blog entry on this topic itself, more specifically, on one of the best story/screenwriters Malayalam film industry has ever seen, Sreenivasan.
Although this short, dark man has made his mark on almost all movie genres, his masterworks have mostly been in the area of satires. I doubt if there has been a better exponent of satire in Malayalam than Sreenivasan. From political leaders (Sandesham) to movie stars (Udayanaanu Thaaram), people from various walks of life have been rendered victims of Sreenivasan's sarcasm. And seeing the kind of self-belittling roles and dialogues he plays and speaks in various movies, one wonders if the man is actually one filled with a lot of such complexes!!
Though his acting has drawn flak at times, there are some roles of Sreenivasan which no one else could have done with such originality. One such role which stands out is Prabhakaran in Sandesham, the diehard Communist leader. It is no wonder then that director Lal Jose chose Sreenivasan to play yet another hardcore communist role of Cuba Mukundan in the movie Arabikatha, which he did complete justice to. How many times has one seen him deliver those rib-tickling dialogues in the signature poker-faced style of his.
It is interesting to note that some of the best works of some directors like Priyadarshan, Kamal, Sathyan Anthikad etc. have happened when they partnered with Sreenivasan. Not to forget the 2 critically acclaimed directorial ventures by the man himself. And the number of directors who have debuted on his script, ranging from (the once-successful)Sibi Malayil to the latest director-on-the-block, M. Mohanan (Kadha Parayumbol).
All this notwithstanding, I must say that I didn't find his latest movie, Kadha Parayumbol, as impressive as it is being publicised to be. Although it had those quintessential Sreenivasan dialogues peppered all over the movie and was shot in that simplistic way that characterizes his scripts so much, many situations in the movie somehow reminded me of older scripts by Sreenivasan, like Azhakiya Raavanan and Chinthaavishtayaaya Shyamala. When compared to his older movies, this didn't seem to quite be on that level. I found it rather ironical that after having given so many brilliant movies, the movie of his that got the maximum hype hasn't been the best of his works.
It is heartening to see this man still going strong when there are not many stalwarts that remain. Works by people like M T Vasudevan Nair come up so few and far between that we never get enough of them. Other greats like Padmarajan, Bharathan etc. are no longer with us. And Lohithadas, Balachandra Menon etc. seem to have run out of fuel. Although Lohithadas still writes he hardly attains the high standards he once set for himself with movies like "Kireedom", "Bharatham", "His Highness Abdulla" etc. As for Balachandra Menon it is hard to believe that a man who once made movies like "Kuruppinte Kanakkupusthakam" could have come down to the level of his latest flick "De Ingottu Nokkiye"!! Sathyan Anthikkad has of late started penning the scripts for his movies again, but he is also getting repetitive in his style, which told on his latest venture "Innathe Chinthavishayam". Although the movie was decent it was nowhere close to what one would expect out of Anthikkad-Lal combo. Unless he brings about some change in his style or decides to team up with someone like Sreenivasan again, we shall be losing yet another great director. So here is wishing that Sreenivasan still goes on spinning out classy scripts off his pen, as the Malayalam filmdom is otherwise in serious danger of being reduced to a melee of no-brainer comedies and dubbed movies.
Although this short, dark man has made his mark on almost all movie genres, his masterworks have mostly been in the area of satires. I doubt if there has been a better exponent of satire in Malayalam than Sreenivasan. From political leaders (Sandesham) to movie stars (Udayanaanu Thaaram), people from various walks of life have been rendered victims of Sreenivasan's sarcasm. And seeing the kind of self-belittling roles and dialogues he plays and speaks in various movies, one wonders if the man is actually one filled with a lot of such complexes!!
Though his acting has drawn flak at times, there are some roles of Sreenivasan which no one else could have done with such originality. One such role which stands out is Prabhakaran in Sandesham, the diehard Communist leader. It is no wonder then that director Lal Jose chose Sreenivasan to play yet another hardcore communist role of Cuba Mukundan in the movie Arabikatha, which he did complete justice to. How many times has one seen him deliver those rib-tickling dialogues in the signature poker-faced style of his.
It is interesting to note that some of the best works of some directors like Priyadarshan, Kamal, Sathyan Anthikad etc. have happened when they partnered with Sreenivasan. Not to forget the 2 critically acclaimed directorial ventures by the man himself. And the number of directors who have debuted on his script, ranging from (the once-successful)Sibi Malayil to the latest director-on-the-block, M. Mohanan (Kadha Parayumbol).
All this notwithstanding, I must say that I didn't find his latest movie, Kadha Parayumbol, as impressive as it is being publicised to be. Although it had those quintessential Sreenivasan dialogues peppered all over the movie and was shot in that simplistic way that characterizes his scripts so much, many situations in the movie somehow reminded me of older scripts by Sreenivasan, like Azhakiya Raavanan and Chinthaavishtayaaya Shyamala. When compared to his older movies, this didn't seem to quite be on that level. I found it rather ironical that after having given so many brilliant movies, the movie of his that got the maximum hype hasn't been the best of his works.
It is heartening to see this man still going strong when there are not many stalwarts that remain. Works by people like M T Vasudevan Nair come up so few and far between that we never get enough of them. Other greats like Padmarajan, Bharathan etc. are no longer with us. And Lohithadas, Balachandra Menon etc. seem to have run out of fuel. Although Lohithadas still writes he hardly attains the high standards he once set for himself with movies like "Kireedom", "Bharatham", "His Highness Abdulla" etc. As for Balachandra Menon it is hard to believe that a man who once made movies like "Kuruppinte Kanakkupusthakam" could have come down to the level of his latest flick "De Ingottu Nokkiye"!! Sathyan Anthikkad has of late started penning the scripts for his movies again, but he is also getting repetitive in his style, which told on his latest venture "Innathe Chinthavishayam". Although the movie was decent it was nowhere close to what one would expect out of Anthikkad-Lal combo. Unless he brings about some change in his style or decides to team up with someone like Sreenivasan again, we shall be losing yet another great director. So here is wishing that Sreenivasan still goes on spinning out classy scripts off his pen, as the Malayalam filmdom is otherwise in serious danger of being reduced to a melee of no-brainer comedies and dubbed movies.
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