Dasavatharam - Review and thoughts
Have been away from blogging for a long time. And now with my first attempt to write a review to a movie has made me come back.
Dasavatharam – the movie which was much hyped on Kamal donning 10 different roles was released last Thursday here in Singapore and managed to catch the first show. The only expression left in me after the movie was over was 'WOW!'
When Kollywood - Tamil movie industry is struggling between whether to give emotional/sentimental movies like Veyyil, Paruthiveeran, Polladhavan etc., and outright masala movies like Sivaji, ATM, Kuruvi etc., I feel that Kamal and his team had managed to give a decent and racy entertainer where as also taking Kollywood to one level up and also have done justice to the money spent by Aascar Ravichandran.
But in the last 3 days when I saw lots of negative reviews for this movie I felt very sad. It is so easy to pinpoint mistakes but at the same time we should also compare what’s being done by others given the same environment, technicians and above all the most important factor - Producer's Money.
I was surprised when some movies that shell out 1000 logical mistakes yet managed become super duper hits. I used to satisfy myself then saying a movie is all about entertainment and it is enough if there is some watchable Songs and Comedy sequences. But then, cannot quiet understand for that why the hell should we need a Set raised with Crores spent or a Hero whose salary is almost half the movie's budget. I saw the similar magic created by a Comedian whose film was even more entertaining that the above categories (ImsaiArasan 23aam Pulikesi). Worse were logical mistakes in such movies. I can still not get how a Director like Shankar or for the matter any technician in a movie did not realise in Sivaji, that a person who spent 25 years in IT industry in USA actually would know what a CPR is and will not show a shock when later demonstrated by a doctor. I was even more sad when all the money used in the movie was spent on mere geometrical shaped glass houses used to shoot just ONE song. Similarly in another movie ATM, never ever understood how 2 people who are shown as look alikes still managed to have similar 'French Beard' and also can use lifts when fire alarm was on. When it comes with Kuruvi, the post will end up with a huge list.
Ok, you can ask me what my above ranting gotto do with Dasavatharam is. The money spent on this movie is almost equivalent to the money spent in the above movies. Yet one can find a HUGE difference on the quality of the outcome. Dasavatharam which has such racy screenplay still manages to make no logical mistakes in any sequences except for the last cliched Avtar Singh Cancer recovery scene. All along Kamal's and K.S.Ravikumar's claim was that they have made an attempt to do some technical brilliance in the movie and I feel that they and their team have pulled it out pretty brilliantly. Leave alone the poor CGI in Tsunami and Underwater scenes. Other than these negatives, the movie was far better than other commercial movies we get these days and this is surely a milestone movie for Kollywood.
WOW scenes:
- 12th century episode. Everything in this episode is made with extreme care and brilliance. Kulothunga Chozhan's and others costume, Kamal's Tamil accent, his expressions, attempt to save Nambi by other Vaishnavites when he was hanged by the Changilis ... all these were scenes that can remain intact in your memory for ever.
- Neat and crisp explanation on the seriousness of the biological weapon which is the main element in the movie. Explanation using Hanu, the cute monkey would be far enough for even the C-Class audience to understand the weapon. Shows Kamal's brilliance in his story telling talent.
- The scene where Secret Service officer Balaram Nadiu interrogates Scientist Govind ... nice direction, performance and camera. Takes a long time to realise that both the person in the Act is actually one person. Humour engraved in the Balram Naidu character is brilliant.
- Similar experience can be had in the last fight between Govind and Christian Fletcher.
- Krishnaveni Patti. Every Brahmin household would have similar 'half-mental' very old paatti who used to amuse every kid around her. Still the same kid would later find her funny sentences actually having in-built philosophies. Kamal's perfectionism stands out in this character.
- Excellent Choreography in showign dasavathrams by paatti in the song 'Mukunda Mukunda'
- Excellent sound engineering work in modifying what Kamal-the Bush spoke in actual Bush's voice.
- Humour on dialogues was extremely good and quite adequate for this kind of movie. Roles like Balram Naidu (Kamal), Aandal(Asin), Guide Kumar(MS Baskar) and even Govind (Kamal) had nice and adequate moments tickle our funny bone.
- Kamal’s way of disguising his thoughts in the dialogues.
- A scientist who doesn’t know common term for Nacl there by showing that people even in higher levels ignore or forget small details.
- Bush’s stupidities observed and executed nicely
- The practice of one person belonging to a state supporting his own state people always in India.
- Asin: Kadavul illennu solldheengo (Pls don say ‘There is no God’) Kamal: Irundha nallarukkumnu solrein (Its better if God is there). HA HA …. Can argue for pages one this one line.
- Habbada… Kandavudan Kaadhal, Duet nu illama nalla padam.
Could have been done better - Scenes
- CGI in Tsunami and Underwater scenes.
- Explanation given to Avtar Singh after his operation.
- Napoliean's Tamil in 12th century scenes.
- Asinoda kathal / iraichal / dialogue delivery especially in her Kothai role.
In my opinion if we don’t bother much about the above 3 points mentioned in the ‘Could have been done Better Scenes’ section, the movie is completely entertaining and watchable at least 3 times in theatres and if in DVDs at home at least once in 3 months :))
Note: Am an ardent fan of both Kamal and Rajini :)
Labels: Movies
posted by Sneha Acharya @ 12:03 PM
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