[arr] Rediff reviews VTV
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa is a must watch February 26, 2010 17:50 IST Love stories have always ruled the roost in Tamil cinema. But Red Giant Movies' and Escape Artists Motion Picture and R S Infotainment's Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya (Will You Cross The Skies For Me) puts a new spin to the age old romantic tale. Directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, the film is possibly one of 2010's most anticipated movies. The best part about VTV is that it revolves around people, rather than events. It's like putting a camera into the intimate, everyday life of two people and following them on their adventures. The characters go through a whirlwind of emotions, laugh and cry, and take you along with them. So you have Karthik (Silambarasan aka Simbhu), a mechanical engineering student just out of college, who cherishes the hope of becoming a filmmaker. His father (Kitty) is not convinced but Karthik is very persuasive. Eventually, he becomes an assistant director to K S Ravikumar (who makes the best of the few minutes he's allowed and has a blast). He's always around cameraman Ganesh (Ganesh) -- the two hunt for locations, share philosophies about life and become best friends, despite an age difference. Then Karthik's life turns upside down. Jessie (Trisha Krishnan [ Images ]) passes him by on the street -- and he's instantly smitten (here's where you have the delightful Hosanna, sung with enthusiasm). She's dressed simply, invariably in cotton saris or salwar kameezes, smiles politely, and never seems to even recognise him as she goes to her job at Polaris [ Get Quote ]. But everything she does excites him. He starts following her everywhere, eats where she eats, drinks what she drinks and in one sudden, completely un-looked for moment, confesses that he's 'crazy about her.' Jessie, however, is more shocked than impressed. What follows is her background: Malayali Christians from Alappuzha, her family will never consent to this. Jessie is firm, polite, but Karthik is reckless. He believes her heart tells a different story. He pursues her in earnest, only to be rebuffed even more, every time. They make a tentative arrangement to be 'just friends' -- but a train journey shows them that that can't happen. Finally, Jessie tells him flatly that she's going to get married, and nothing can stop the wedding. Life turns upside down for Karthik once again. This isn't exactly a story about a boy who falls hopelessly in love -- it's more about Jessie. His intentions and actions are simple: he's crazily in love with her, and has no idea why he fell in love with her. Jessie, on the other hand, is a marvelously complex character. You never know what her real feelings towards Karthik are until she talks to him; can't guess her motivations or her decisions because she herself doesn't know them. She wants romance but not without her father's consent, who would rather die than see his daughter married to a Hindu. Jessie maddens Karthik, tossing him like a cork on sea-waves and in the process, draws you in. As far as acting goes -- kudos to the director for the perfect casting. Simbhu finally learns to downplay things, and is a joy to watch, especially when he's in the throes of getting Jessie to love him. He's cautious, optimistic, blindly happy one moment and yet puzzled by her the next. His reaction to her every move is priceless; he does more with his body language than with dialogues. Trisha is a revelation. Shorn of her filmi make-up, she dazzles in Nalini Sriram's simple costumes. She transforms herself into a complicated person who wants something but can't bring herself to accept it. The hurt in her eyes when she asks Simbhu if he's 'moved on' is perfect. The two try to outdo each other in every scene, and the chemistry between them is palpable. And Gautam Menon has given full reign to it. Ganesh does a perfect job. Babu Anthony, Kitty and Uma Padmanabhan are believable, but this movie is so completely woven around the lead cast that the rest barely figure in it. Credit for their perfect portrayal, of course, goes to Gautam Menon. This is one director who's got the pulse of today's urban youth perfectly. Almost every one-liner in the first half earns applause. Despite being the usual love story, the plot twists and turns are admirable. There's logic and rationale in plenty. On the minus side, VTV suffers from the same defect as Vaaranam Aayiram: the second half lags in pace. The dialogues and confrontations are repetitive. There's a would-be love-track that seems unnecessary before the story takes off again. A R Rahman's [ Images ] soundtrack is very romantic; the background score fits in and Aaromalae is a delight. But some of the songs in the second half don't fit. Manoj Paramahamsa's camerawork is sizzling. One moment, the tone is deep, soothing and romantic; at others, harsh and in-your-face. Antony's editing is sleek. Rajeevan's art-work is perfect. Silva
Re: [arr] Rediff reviews VTV music - Vintage Rahman
ichord should start blogging :) or has he already ? On Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 1:46 PM, kishore parayath < kishore.paray...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Yes.. Chord should charge for his reviews..Also, he should sue the > websites, ripping his reviews without permission! > > -- --- http://ramblingsoul.com http://2ic.in
Re: [arr] Rediff reviews VTV music - Vintage Rahman
Yes.. Chord should charge for his reviews..Also, he should sue the websites, ripping his reviews without permission!
RE: [arr] Rediff reviews VTV music - Vintage Rahman
I still like ichord's review the bestest. how does hosana feel inspired by enya's only time i have no clue. And wheres the bit of sounding like titantic? Ancient indian chant in aromale..ha ha. Nice fun review. Ichord sir, now please start charging for your reviews. sent thru mobile device -Original Message- From: $ Pavan Kumar $ Sent: 13/01/2010 12:50:15 pm Subject: [arr] Rediff reviews VTV music - Vintage Rahman http://movies.rediff.com/report/2010/jan/13/south-tamil-music-review-vinnaithaandi-varuvaaya.htm No other album has raised such high expectations or created quite this much frenzy among eager fans like Escape Artists' Motion Pictures' Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya (Will You Cross the Skies for Me?). The Tamil movie has everything going for it namely Gautam Menon as its director, Academy Award winner A R Rahman [ Images ] as its composer, and lyricists like Thamarai, Kalyani Menon and Kaithapram. With Simbhu and Trisha [ Images ] as the lead pair, VTV has been making headlines ever since it was launched as a touching love story with music set to blitzkrieg everyone's heart. Add to that is the fact this is the composer's return to Tamil after his Oscar success. So, does the collection live up to the hype? Let's find out. A guitar strums lazily, reminding you very faintly of the old Wild West, and then morphs into something that might be an ancient native Indian chant -- that's Aaromale, sung by Alphonse. The lyrics in Malayalam seem to form a neat accompaniment to the general structure of the song. There's a soothing, gentle feel to the number, an experience that lets you sink into it. The song proper starts some time later, with a faint strain of violins somewhere far off. Even as Alphonse's voice rises to higher octaves, the refrain hugs the original depths, supplying a many-layered experience. An intense number, this. You sit blinking when you listen to Anbil Avan as you're transported straight to a church choir until you realize that the song, rendered by Devan Ekambaram and Chinmayi, is actually a conglomerate that describes two kinds of religious weddings. The lyrics are all about eternal bonding, unending love and essentially the basics of wedding vows. It's got a peppy feel, full of happy anticipation, an eagerness to seek out the next heady experience, supplemented by synthesized instrumental arrangements. It seems a little like the Ibiza number -- but you're too carried away by its zeal to notice that until the end. On a half romantic, half mournful note, with a flute interlude begins possibly the most publicized number of the album: Hosanna by Blaaze, Vijay Prakash and Suzanne. The musical arrangement somehow takes you right back to the early days of ARR until you realize which number the refrain, Hosanna, bears a striking resemblance to: Only Time, by Enya. The rap segment closely follows the tune as well; the lyrics celebrate the lover pining away for his beloved until his world shrinks to just her. There's no denying that it's romantic what with church bells pealing, complicated violin arrangements and a chorus which all reach a crescendo in the finale. It's a pleasant listen but still seems "inspired." The violin rendition in the first few seconds of Kannukkul Kannai is enticing and the number itself, rendered by Naresh Iyer in a fast- and almost breathless manner that aims to bring the heady feeling of being in love. Aside from the violin segment, though, you feel like this is a musical arrangement you've heard often in Rahman's earlier albums, and faithfully mimicked by others following in his footsteps. In terms of ARR numbers, it's pretty run-of-the-mill. Shreya Goshal's melodious voice begins Mannippaya with anguish, and it morphs gradually into a more gentle melody. Remorse and forgiveness are the prevalent themes of this number, and the soothing tones suit the sentiment, with ARR himself providing the accompaniment. Appealing, yes, but the lyrics have precedence in this song and the tune seems to have been composed to accommodate it. Even the flute segment reminds you of the signature tune of Titanic [ Images ]. The kural couplets that suddenly appear take you by surprise. They're a pleasant listen -- and then it's back to the meandering tune. Kalyani Menon and Benny Dhayal begin Omanappenne, which seems like a fusion between western and classical music with a violin suddenly launching into a classical melody at certain points. And that's the essence of the whole song: a gentle composition which attempts to crossover from one genre to another, while a nadaswaram makes a not unwelcome appearance to add a different flavour to the proceedings. Having said that, we've heard many such numbers from ARR himself, and with more variation. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya, accompanied by guitar strings and rendered by Kar
Re: [arr] Rediff reviews VTV music - Vintage Rahman
To be frank above REVIEW, is not at all, a good one! Very unprofessional.. Firstly, he never goes in the order of the Original tracklist.. Secondly, he wraps up the description of AROMALE, with a very vague description. Also... I didnt find anything inspired from that ENYA track... The general GENRE is like this, and many songs use the same kinds of progression, and layered synthpads! And regarding the TITANIC signature coming in shades in MANNIPAAYA, I felt it right from the TIME I heard the AMAZON PROMO... But is that INTENTIONAL It is STILL a beautiful track, eventhough the melody loses connection somewhere in the middle. .the tune running slightly directionless.. Kannukkul Kannai, reminds you of the RACY ARR tracks of the 90's and early 2000's. The composition is on the lines of Shakalaka Baby and Yakai Thiri / Fanaa (aayutha Ezhuthu/Yuva). Anbil avan too being of similar kind, but with surprising gospel interludes, making a swift cameo. ARR decides to keep Omana Penne, simple and predictable, while he drives our emotions through those scintillating violin accompaniments and Nadaswaram interludes. I initially suspected whether ARR used the continuum for the Nadaswaram bit, but the tracklist revealed that it had been recorded LIVE. Hossaana certainly is a NEW BREED for lovestories and the concept would certainly be adopted by other Kollywood composers, in their upcoming soundtracks! I would say, ARR worked less while creating the scratch of the song. But the mesmerising vocals, heavenly flow of synthpads and lavishly arranged chord progressions amplify the impact of the song! And ofcourse, those fantastic flue interludes add to the allure. Overall, this is a clever, yet classy work from ARR. The title song, Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya, is soft, subtle, yet, a melodious treat, which would take its time to hold your nerves. Aromalae, is probably the most experimental track, that a Gautham Menon film ever had. The innovative guitar design reminds you, of the Golden Era of bands like 'The Doors' and 'Pink Floyd'. Again, the brilliance of ARR here, there are not more than 4 chords in this song!!! The tune is a brilliantly reworked piece, of 'Ottam Thullal' Chants of Kerala. Overall, Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya, is a completely different experience, as ARR delivers the unexpected. Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya, has the most innovative music design amongst all Gautham menon films!
[arr] Rediff reviews VTV music - Vintage Rahman
http://movies.rediff.com/report/2010/jan/13/south-tamil-music-review-vinnaithaandi-varuvaaya.htm No other album has raised such high expectations or created quite this much frenzy among eager fans like Escape Artists' Motion Pictures' Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya (Will You Cross the Skies for Me?). The Tamil movie has everything going for it namely Gautam Menon as its director, Academy Award winner A R Rahman [ Images ] as its composer, and lyricists like Thamarai, Kalyani Menon and Kaithapram. With Simbhu and Trisha [ Images ] as the lead pair, VTV has been making headlines ever since it was launched as a touching love story with music set to blitzkrieg everyone's heart. Add to that is the fact this is the composer's return to Tamil after his Oscar success. So, does the collection live up to the hype? Let's find out. A guitar strums lazily, reminding you very faintly of the old Wild West, and then morphs into something that might be an ancient native Indian chant -- that's Aaromale, sung by Alphonse. The lyrics in Malayalam seem to form a neat accompaniment to the general structure of the song. There's a soothing, gentle feel to the number, an experience that lets you sink into it. The song proper starts some time later, with a faint strain of violins somewhere far off. Even as Alphonse's voice rises to higher octaves, the refrain hugs the original depths, supplying a many-layered experience. An intense number, this. You sit blinking when you listen to Anbil Avan as you're transported straight to a church choir until you realize that the song, rendered by Devan Ekambaram and Chinmayi, is actually a conglomerate that describes two kinds of religious weddings. The lyrics are all about eternal bonding, unending love and essentially the basics of wedding vows. It's got a peppy feel, full of happy anticipation, an eagerness to seek out the next heady experience, supplemented by synthesized instrumental arrangements. It seems a little like the Ibiza number -- but you're too carried away by its zeal to notice that until the end. On a half romantic, half mournful note, with a flute interlude begins possibly the most publicized number of the album: Hosanna by Blaaze, Vijay Prakash and Suzanne. The musical arrangement somehow takes you right back to the early days of ARR until you realize which number the refrain, Hosanna, bears a striking resemblance to: Only Time, by Enya. The rap segment closely follows the tune as well; the lyrics celebrate the lover pining away for his beloved until his world shrinks to just her. There's no denying that it's romantic what with church bells pealing, complicated violin arrangements and a chorus which all reach a crescendo in the finale. It's a pleasant listen but still seems "inspired." The violin rendition in the first few seconds of Kannukkul Kannai is enticing and the number itself, rendered by Naresh Iyer in a fast- and almost breathless manner that aims to bring the heady feeling of being in love. Aside from the violin segment, though, you feel like this is a musical arrangement you've heard often in Rahman's earlier albums, and faithfully mimicked by others following in his footsteps. In terms of ARR numbers, it's pretty run-of-the-mill. Shreya Goshal's melodious voice begins Mannippaya with anguish, and it morphs gradually into a more gentle melody. Remorse and forgiveness are the prevalent themes of this number, and the soothing tones suit the sentiment, with ARR himself providing the accompaniment. Appealing, yes, but the lyrics have precedence in this song and the tune seems to have been composed to accommodate it. Even the flute segment reminds you of the signature tune of Titanic [ Images ]. The kural couplets that suddenly appear take you by surprise. They're a pleasant listen -- and then it's back to the meandering tune. Kalyani Menon and Benny Dhayal begin Omanappenne, which seems like a fusion between western and classical music with a violin suddenly launching into a classical melody at certain points. And that's the essence of the whole song: a gentle composition which attempts to crossover from one genre to another, while a nadaswaram makes a not unwelcome appearance to add a different flavour to the proceedings. Having said that, we've heard many such numbers from ARR himself, and with more variation. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya, accompanied by guitar strings and rendered by Karthik, comes in a different fashion altogether. It's slow, introspective, and the general tone doesn't seem to care much whether it hits the highs and lows of notes in an approved manner, which is actually a plus. The tune moves from contemplative to contentment to interrogative, and that seems to be the essence of the number itself: all the different emotions encompassed in one question. It isn't possible to toss an opinion of an A R Rahman album based on just one listen. This composer has a talent for coming up with numbers that grow on you. Lyricist Thama
