Toy Story 3 - Pixar thank you again and we take a bow

Star Wars,Indiana Jones, Bourne. These are all incredible trilogies that can, will, and should stand the test of time. Yes, I am neglecting the fourth Indiana Jones. Upon the mention of the third Toy Story, I was deathly afraid. Afraid because it has some major, major shoes to fill. The original is a masterpiece that changed animation forever, and the sequel is also equally amazing. The first two Toy Story films are among the best movies of all-time and to this day entire animation studios have failed to duplicate an ounce of the magic contained in Toy Story. Could part 3 even come close to the original two? My friends, I am very happy to say, the answer is a resounding yes.

Toy Story 3 does exactly what the first two did, delivered on all cylinders, all aspects of film-making and entertainment. The humor is back, the heart is back, the delightful cast of characters is back. This time, thanks to an incredible script, there's more suspense, more drama, and many more surprises. Like any spectacular trilogy, it wraps up all loose ends. It literally is difficult to find any flaw or any slow moment in this movie, and even if there is, it will immediately be forgiven by the next major laugh or the next major revelation. The predictability factor in this movie is low, and the payoff to all the suspense is extremely high. Guys, this is the go-to movie of the summer, and makes up for any disappointment you have seen this year or last.

Just like Toy Story 2's subtle and underlying themes, Toy Story 3 revolves around the group of toys and their latest adventure, but dwells far deeper than that. On the surface, this movie is about the toys in a series of circumstances, winding up in a daycare center that isn't all it seems. At the same time, Andy is heading for college, but Woody isn't quite ready to let go of his owner and the memories that follow. The deeper aspects involve aging, growing up, and moving on. Michael Arndt, the Oscar winner that wrote Little Miss Sunshine, was behind the spectacular screenplay in this third trip in the world of toys. Then with the help of John Lasseter and Lee Unkrich (who serves as the director), we see plenty of references to Pixar, other movies, the previous Toy Story installments, and even we even see nods to the influences of the entire animation studio (Miyazaki).

The writing wasn't the only thing that was on par with the first two Toy Story movies. The voice acting cast was once again phenomenal, with popular actors, underrated talent, and great character actors filling the bill. Come on now, just read em': Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, John Cusack, Wallace Shawn, Jody Benson, Estelle Harris, Blake Clark, John Ratzenburger, Ned Beatty, Jeff Garlin, and Michael Keaton. Unlike what Dreamworks pulls off on a yearly basis, Pixar carefully chooses their voice cast in terms of pulling off the best performances, not to generate more money. Because honestly, was there even a point to Angelina Jolie voicing the tiger in Kung Fu Panda? On the other hand, very few can pull an authentic Barbie like Jody Benson (a.k.a. Ariel in the Little Mermaid). It takes reliable and authentic acting to pull at the heartstrings, and everyone definitely was on their A-game.

Lee Unkrich directed this movie with incredible pacing and just as much heart and dedication as Lasseter, who was in charge of the first two. The truth is, Pixar directs the movie together, as they share ideas and suggestions amongst each other. This fact can be traced to the similar pacing and directing styles seen in Pixar's better works like Ratatoille, Finding Nemo, and Up. They all have the similar technique of incorporating just as many tears as laughs. But unlike all the other Pixar movies (with the exception of The Incredibles), Toy Story 3 has a heave dosage of suspense and peril, which is climaxed by one of the most exciting animated sequences this side of Castle in the Sky (a Miyazaki adventure masterpiece). Other reviewers have noted this before me, but this Toy Story is quite scary in depth and in imagery at some instances, so be wary of this while watching this with the kids. With so much time invested with these toys, the drama runs a bit high.

Bottom Line: Toy Story 3 secures its place in cinema brilliance by becoming the best third installment since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the best sequel since Kill Bill Vol. 2, and the best movie we've seen this year. This movie is usually hilarious, sometimes thrilling, and sometimes downright tear-jerking. And yes, just like Up's opening 10 minutes, there is that one major sequence in which Pixar will play with your heartstrings like Eric Clapton playing tears of Heaven. If you enjoyed the first two Toy Stories, there's no need to worry about the third and hopefully final chapter in the quality-filled saga. How Pixar manages to deliver yet again is absolutely beyond me.

Walt Disney may not be one-hundred percent proud of his company if he were alive to see it now, but he would be absolutely delighted at seeing what beautiful art Pixar has delivered ever since 1995. Pixar has re-created Walt Disney 's magical methods of storytelling and movie-making, and arguably has taken it a step even further by adding depth to the characters and depth to the overall stories presented. The direction was fantastic, the writing was Oscar-worthy, and the overall production is Best Picture caliber. This is Pixar's best work since Finding Nemo, and a must see by any means necessary. Despite my cynical nature, there's no way I can grade this any less than perfect. Just no way.

Raavanan - Raavanan is the real hero

Beautiful ais, beautiful location, beautiful sound once again mani proves he is one of the best director in India no no in the World. Hats off to Mani Rathanam. Some about BH..Let's get this straight. Raavanan is not Mani Ratnam's attempt to venerate the epic villain whose name the movie is titled after. It's not also a study on complex human relationships weighed down by trust, conviction or quandary. It's a pure cinematic retreat spanning across the dense jungles of Southern and Central India with exceptional cinematography (Santosh Sivan andManikandan), by-now cult songs (A R Rahman) and interesting performances by its lead actors. And the significance of the movie appears in the same order mentioned above.

Mani's conviction of illustrating an unachievable love story between the two leads (Aishwarya Rai and Vikram) is palpable from the very start of the movie. However, the blossoming of love doesn't quite form the back bone of Raavanan so much. The movie digresses into other aspects - a man hunt, flash backs, revenge drama and so on and so forth. The man hunts lack dexterity, the revenge drama that is triggered by the death of Vikram's sister seems engineered and Prithviraj often comes across as stiff – showing unnecessary tautness in the character that is probably designed to defy emotions (may be because he is in his Khakis?).

But all that is absolved, as the movie stunningly unfolds often drenching itself in the monsoonal deluge making you feel rain-soaked. If you have any doubt about Mani's eternal love affair with rain, Raavanan stands as a remarkable testimony. It rains in the song sequences, in encounters and in emotional scenes. And at other instances, the sky is constantly downcast as if threatening to pour down. And the cinematography captures it all in delightful exuberance.

For the most part, Vikram owns the movie seizing it magnificently even from Mani's own hands. His love blooms out of astonishment at the outwardly courage displayed by Aishwarya Rai and he makes those scenes persuasive for the viewer. He infuses life into the character and shows no jaggedness, falling for a married woman thus replicating, probably the characters of Raavanan. Suhasini's profound dialogues come in handy in many places and the viewer is made to read between lines quite often.

Aishwarya Rai's semblance of the late Padmini is unmistakable, it could be her dialogues or the way she manages her composure attentively even in the hardest of terrains the character puts her through. The lady sure has attempted to reach on par with Vikram in performance in many sequences. Kudos to Mani for a dignified portrayal of his lead woman. There is a refreshing strength in Ragini's character brought out well by Aishwarya.

Prithvi plays a toughie police officer and somehow his character portrayal leaves a few questions unanswered: for instance, his love for Aishwarya Rai is weighed down by his commitment and that singular fact does not come across convincingly.

Priyamani plays the ill-fated Vennila and leaves a lump in your throat. Karthik in his second innings steals the show. Prabhu and Munna play support roles that ebb and flow with the movie.

Cinematography by Santosh Sivan is brilliant and has rendered the perfect support for Mani. His probing lens takes the audience through the thick jungles, the mighty waterfalls and the rough terrains of India. Music and art direction play equally momentous role in Raavanan as its lead actors. If not for Rahman's songs and background score, Vikram's unrequited love wouldn't have been so painful for us. The songs have already been much debated about and leave no scope for further discussion. One word though: it's not for nothing "Usure Pogude…" has achieved a cult status. You tend to try hard not to fall in love but fail with the song as Vikram heaves a sigh of relief, having seen Aishwarya Rai breathing and alive after a steep fall.

Sameer Chanda's art direction complements the ruggedness and splendid beauty of the nature in the jungles so well you refuse to believe anything is man-made.

A major drawback is the lack of 'Tamil' feel in the film and its music; it more appears for the audience north of Vindhyas in many places. What Mani loses out is the pace over the later part of the first half; he gains it back with a major twist in the climax. Although you have a few questions about the incidents leading to the finale, those are done away with - thanks to the elegiac climax. Finally raavanan is not mani's best but is still a film that will be a trendsetter for other films to come.

Verdict - 8/10

Singam (Tamil ) - In one word "Asingam"

As my title shows this movie is simply pathetic. All i can think of while writing this review the torture i was going through watching that movie. Surya needs to seriously stop working with director hari who seems to have forget the purpose and method of film making.

The plot to the story is actually quite new to tamil cinema but the way it was handled was simply horrible. So many plot holes with terrible songs and fights simply adds to the fact that this could be surya's worst movie till date.

Surya is probably the only reason the movie is getting recognised for what it is and he has great screen presence. Anushka who is there in the movie purely for the glamour quotient has done a decent job but her rule doesnt even get any better as the movie goes on.

Vivek is the best this movie can offer and he has done a fabulous job whether it comes to the dialogues or even his voice modulation. This is definitely a comeback movie for vivek. His comedy tracks along with the villagers and particularly the scene with the sardarji were a laugh riot.

The music and songs are just horrible and devi sri prasad has again copied tunes from previous flicks.

The movie is a must miss and please spread the word too unless you are talking to your enemies..

Overall - 2/10

Duel (1971) - Is it safe to drive on highways?

While traveling through the desert for an appointment with a client, the businessman David Mann (Dennis Weaver) from California passes a slow and old tanker truck. The psychotic truck driver feels offended and chases David along the empty highway trying to kill him.

In the 70's, in Rio de Janeiro, most of the teenagers like me watched the impressive movie of a new and promising director called Steven Spielberg. On the beach, in school, in bars, everybody in Rio commented the story of a crazy truck driver that chases a common man in his car along the lonely roads through the desert. Thirty-six years later, I have just watched "Duel" on DVD with my son and it is fantastic to see how this movie has not aged. The tense and suspenseful story consists basically of a storyline, without development of characters, one actor, two stunts, lots of action and a magnificent work of direction and edition. One amazing detail is that all the afflictive and credible situation happens on the day light, i.e., Spielberg does not need to use the usual fear of the night to create a stunning tale of horror and fear, showing his talent of genius in his worldwide debut.

This movie is a Spielberg special. An absolute thriller that will keep you for the look out. If u havent yet seen this classic do it right now..

8/10

Shutter Island - Will leave u haunted

Shutter Island. A film that will divide the film community. A film that will leave many upset, and hating it. A film that has already completely split the critics. A movie that messes with you. And no one likes to be messed with. And that is exactly where it exceeds. Think I'm contradicting myself?

Shutter Island is one of the most well crafted psychological thrillers to come by since Silence Of The Lambs. And it is no coincidence both were brilliantly written novels. Shutter Island is adapted by a book written by Dennis Lehane (wrote gone baby, gone and mystic river). It is a book filled with twists and turns, that will leave the reader dizzy. And, that is what it's film counterpart does to the fullest. Martin Scorsese helms the director chair, in a movie where he is more free than any before. This is Scorsese at his most unrestrained.

Marty takes what he has learned from the great films of the past and puts it into his. The master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock's influence is everywhere you look in this film. And it is no wonder, considering Scorsese even showed one of his greatest works to the crew: Vertigo. And many of those ideas are present in Shutter Island; the cliff scenes scream Hitchcock. This is a film that creeps and crawls, and is filled with dark corners. And it is all heightened by the coming storm that looms over the island. This is classic film noir.

The story follows Teddy, a federal Marshall, and his partner Chuck (Played by DiCaprio and Ruffulo). They go to this mysterious island enveloped in fog to investigate an escape. From these opening scenes, Marty has set up a dark and creepy premise.

Almost the whole movie incorporates this story as Teddy desperately tries to find the truths he seeks. Teddy is shown as a scared man; a man of war and violence as portrayed in various flashbacks. These will go on to be increasingly important as the story progresses. We follow Teddy on his quest, through every dark corridor and perilous confrontations. Slowly, we are given pieces to the puzzle, but the audience does not even realize it. For we, like Teddy, are blind. For the moment at least. It is because of this that the thrilling conclusion will leave many blindsided. But, you see, that is where this thriller becomes something more. We as the audience are put in Teddy's shoes, and we feel all the things he feels. It is a complete assault on the senses, and it works beautifully.

This is a film you must watch carefully. That is another thing that sets this apart, it is a horror film that makes you actually think. In this day and age, I'm not surprised some found it terrible esp. after their brains have been turned to mush by these new gore filled horror films. Scorsese's ultimate goal here is to wake you up. And trust me, you probably wont like it.

This is also a film I would recommend seeing a second time. In fact, it is even better the second time. All those pieces of that puzzle you didn't catch the first time, you will the second. You see, we as the audience are first put in the shoes of Teddy. The second? Well, without giving too much away, lets just say you are put in someones else's shoes entirely during the second viewing.

Shutter Island. A film that will make you question your own sanity. A film that will leave you breathless. A film that has re-ignited the thriller genre. A film that will leave you, and the main character, searching for answers.

9 out of 10

Paiyya - Not so enjoyable journey

Once again lingusamy gives a Action movie. This time with Karthi of Aayirithil Oruvan fame . And Karthi proves once again why he is definitely the best new coming actor in tamil cinema. Some from BH Director Lingusamy traverses on an all new road show in Paiyaa in his home production Tirupathi Brothers and has acquitted himself fairly well. Although romance seems to be the axle in Paiyaa, Lingusamy has skewed away mildly from this and spiced it up with a travel (escape) event as a backdrop.

The film opens up with an ingenious manner of credits flipping on the road and dividers, lucidly indicating the genre of the film. A creative brainwave indeed! Karthi (Shiva), an engineering graduate with an attitude, is on the look out for a job. He does not seem to be much serious in seeking employment while his friends try their best to settle him. He spots Tamannah (Charu) in a bus stop and it is love at first sight. He finds her on a couple of occasions later and in fact misses an interview in her pursuit. Destiny seems to have something good waiting for him and he gets to spend themost beautiful phase of his life, giving her a ride in the car while waiting to pick the owner of the car at the railway station. Life takes an exciting turn from this point for Karthi who accepts to drop her in Mumbai and thus begins Paiyaa's journey of romance, action and emotions on a highway with a few turns, some with caution and some without.

Paiyaa zooms forward in the first half where Karthi is at driver's seat physically and metaphorically. An enjoyable performance from the young actor who appears to relish his role! For the first time in his career, he gets to cover himself with stylish costumes. He sparkles with haughty countenance, sideway glances, mischievous looks, 'know it all' attitude and an understated curiosity to know about Tamannah. He reiterates that he can essay any kind of role with aplomb. But there are still some vestiges of a villager in him which he needs to divest when necessary. Tamannah is fresh, youthful and emotes well too. Jagan has a small role in the second half. Karthi's friends are adept in their performance. Except for looking hot and handsome, the much talked about Milind Soman is wasted and any one could have performed his role.

Yuvan Shankar Raja is the major backbone of Paiyaa with lovely tracks suiting the mood of the film. Tamannah looks as fresh as the raindrops in thuli thuli mazhayai number. Suthude suthude boomi speaks of art director Rajeevan's work but he could have taken extra care especially about the stationery cloud hovering around the moon. The songs are all chartbusters and have all been picturized very aesthetically. Priya Manikandan's costumes are in sync with the nature of characters and the mood of the film. Brinda Sarathy's dialogues evoke laughter at the right places but are very few to carry the movie forward.

The second half slackens with some of the actions sequences appear contrived especially in the climax. How can someone even lift his head when beaten by a powerful metal rod? It is difficult to comprehend despite attributing it to cinematic liberties. The climax fights intend to be more for showcasing Karthi's heroism than for the story warranting it. And why is Karthi shown as someone who does not speak English despite being a city bred engineer with urban friends for company? Director Lingusamy has stuck to the genre that he has chosen for most part. He has recorded romance in a beautiful manner especially when Karthi communicates his feelings to his friends seeking advice and his dignified attitude towards Tamannah. The car chasing sequence in the open field is absolutely brilliant and so is Karthi going reverse in the opposite direction. Cinematographer Madhie needs plaudits here. Crisp editing by Anthony especially in the action sequences is a major plus point of Paiyaa and deserves a special mention.

Overall paiyya gives a little of everythin and is watchable once but this is not the best of karthi by far !!!

Paiyya - 6/10

Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya - Crosses the skies for us

After 1 and quarter years of anticipation and eagerness, Gautham's Vinnaithaandi Varuvayaa. Right from the cast to the technical team, the movie is purely packed star cast with proved technicians.

I was listening to the songs every day since they were released . With the Oscar award winner A.R.R handling the music, there were no doubts for everyone that the movie sure to make it big. I entered the theatre expecting a true love story with quality acting and a powerful story. I was not disappointed at all; in fact I was dumbfounded by it.

VTV is all about falling in love, the emotions, confusions and the innumerable roller-coaster sensations associated with it. Karthik (Silambarasan), a mechanical engineer, hopes to be a aspiring film director one day. It is love at first sight for this young man with his landlord's daughter Jessy (Trisha), a Malayalee Christian and a computer professional. Karthik expresses his love to her in a quite unexpected manner but she does not accept it citing practical reasons, such as age, culture and family's pride. Notwithstanding her absence even for a short while, Karthik leaves Chennai and travels to Kerala just to apologise to her. Jessie understands the depth of his love by his words and actions.

He finds Jessie and apologies for his behaviour and earns her friendship in return.. The ensuing train trip to Chennai from Allapuzha paves way for a deeper bond between the two. Jessie's brother gets to know about Karthik's love and problems emerge between them which create a conflict between the two families and Karthik's family is made to vacate the premises. This triggers the hasty arrangement of marriage for Jessy in Kerala. Needless to say, Karthik reaches there and what happens thereafter form the crux of Vinnai Thaandi Varuavaayaa. The rest of the story is all about the life of the main leads after these incidents. The love has been portrayed in the typical narrative style of Gautham.

Simbhu's performance has been impressive from the first shot of the movie to the last frame of the movie. His toned down dialogue delivery works very well for the story and especially towards the climax; he makes the audience move in tears with his acting.

Trisha stays impressive from portraying the character of a confused lady who couldn't decide on her love at many instances. No doubt that it will be a break for her too in her career.

A.R.R's music is very impressive and his background music is magical and makes the audience go into the story deeper and deeper. Especially during scenes where Karthik proposes his love and the scene where he sees Jessie for the first time. The deep experimental of new type of music have come out in a very pleasant way. No doubt that this movie will bag him numerous awards.

In Overall, Gautham have crafted a love story which revolves around these two characters. Many could think that the movie's pace is very slow, but I felt that if the pace has been quicker it may not have been as powerful or impactful as now.The high point of the movie is the reality it portrays on screen. Whether it is the family of the leads or the friends , its exactly what you see in your daily life. The climax is a shocking one yet a perfect one.The wait is certainly more than the worth and is another breakaway from traditional Tamil movies. As a film student and critique, I felt that this is a classic love story which portrays not only the happy side of it but painful one to. Its a movie for everyone but definitely one for people in love,or were in love or who want to fall in love . Gautham have chosen a cliché' story and experimented deeply in the screenplay. There is no doubt that Vinnaithaandi Varuvayaa will be remembered by everyone for long. Thanks to Gautham!!!

Verdict- A Tribute to Love