Re: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film
Why are you guys reacting like 'Rediff commentators'? It obviously is his opinion on the movie and by and large people have trashed it left, right and center. It isn't just Rajeev Masand who thinks the movie was bad. Many critics too have left the same. So if you liked the film - great- recommend it to your friends and family. Don't pick on reviewers. --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, shaik mahaboob shaik_mahaboob2...@... wrote: Who is bothered about Arm chair critic Masand's, one sided, biased review and rating? The movie is creating waves in the entire India. He is capable of reviewing only Masala Movies and not the movies of Mani and Benagal standard. Let him understand the difference of commercial and art films before commenting on fabulous movie like RAVAN or RAVANAN. shaik mahaboob   --- On Fri, 18/6/10, Gopal Srinivasan catchg...@... wrote: From: Gopal Srinivasan catchg...@... Subject: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film To: arrahmanfans arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com Date: Friday, 18 June, 2010, 10:12 PM  Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film Rajeev Masand , CNN-IBN Posted on Jun 18, 2010 at 21:29 | Updated Jun 19, 2010 at 00:23 83Share Free Movie Previews Watch Full-Screen, High-Res Movie Clips Trailers - Download Free! FilmFanatic. MyWebSearch. com Ads by Google Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Director: Mani Ratnam Sitting in your seat watching Mani Ratnam's Raavan unfold before you, is like craning your neck out of your car to catch a glimpse of the wreckage in a road accident on the other side. Filled with a perverse sense of curiosity, you can't take your eyes off the damage. Alas, Raavan - despite a relatively modest running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes - is a crushing bore of a film, a disappointment on virtually every count. In this rather literal adaptation of a slice of Hindu mythology, Ratnam casts Abhishek Bachchan as feared outlaw Beera who kidnaps the local police chief's feisty wife Ragini (played by Aishwarya Rai) in retaliation for a crime against a loved one. The tough cop Dev (played by Tamil star Vikram) sets out to get his wife back, making a journey into the dense forest, even as Beera finds his heart melting for Ragini. Never one to paint his characters black or white, Ratnam gives both Dev and Beera ambiguous character traits that make it hard to pigeonhole them as entirely good or bad. So Raavan-figure Beera has a conscience that stops him from having his way with Ragini although he desires her, and Ram-inspired Dev is so hell-bent on achieving his goal that he will resort to deceit and betrayal in order to get there. But what might have truly turned this film into a brave, daring effort is a less 'darpok' handling of Ragini's change-of-heart towards Beera. While she does soften considerably when she understands his provocation for revenge, Ratnam never quite turns it into a Stockholm-syndrome situation that might have made for a far stronger central conflict. As it currently stands, Raavan is a predictable revenge drama that stays too safe to ever surprise you. Despite some eye-watering camerawork and a stunning action piece in the film's climax, the film -- especially its first half -- is a carelessly edited mess of long scenes that make little sense when strung together. Abhishek plays Beera as an eccentric, unpredictable fellow prone to sudden outbursts; he channels Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight, but comes nowhere close to replicating a similar sinister charm. Aishwarya, despite being the film's leading lady and the very cause of the film's conflict, has nothing much to do. She's left to scream and shriek and hiss and spit out her dialogue while looking lovely in every frame. Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does. The director sticks so faithfully to the Ramayana that we get embarrassing scenes like the one in which the suspicious husband asks his wife to take a polygraph test to prove her purity. Other portions, adapted literally, include the humiliation of the Surpanakha character, which is only marginally better handled. Of the cast, it's Ravi Kissen and Govinda, who play Beera and Dev's right-hand men respectively, who stand out with the film's most engaging performances. Both men, particularly Ravi Kissen, make flesh-and-blood characters out of their parts, investing them with sincerity and dodging stereotypes at every turn. Vikram, meanwhile, oozes screen presence but is shortchanged with cardboard characterization, and pretty much spends the entire film chasing after Beera in slo-mo, sporting trendy Ray Bans.
Re: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film
I doubt if someone else could have given a much more versatile and inspired score for RaavanBeera...Behne DeKhili ReKeda Kari...Ranjhathey are all oustanding and in their own leagueMy must have instead said the great music was not used very well in the filmBTW how many movie reviewers understand the nuances of the music while they watch the film! I have my doubts if Rajeev has a fine ear for music!!! --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, ravi ravis...@... wrote: There was a reviewer Khalid Mohamed who wrote reviews and belted directors. But the 2 movies he did was utter disaster despite have good music. Its easy to comment than deliver. Dont give importance to reviews you may like or dislike but why miss something just because of believing what others had to say. Every human is gifted with a brain and thought to think. --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, haris zeenath hariszeenath@ wrote: Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does.. --- On Sat, 19/6/10, Gopal Srinivasan catchgops@ wrote: From: Gopal Srinivasan catchgops@ Subject: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film To: arrahmanfans arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, 19 June, 2010, 8:42 AM  Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film Rajeev Masand , CNN-IBN Posted on Jun 18, 2010 at 21:29 | Updated Jun 19, 2010 at 00:23 83Share Free Movie Previews Watch Full-Screen, High-Res Movie Clips Trailers - Download Free! FilmFanatic. MyWebSearch. com Ads by Google Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Director: Mani Ratnam Sitting in your seat watching Mani Ratnam's Raavan unfold before you, is like craning your neck out of your car to catch a glimpse of the wreckage in a road accident on the other side. Filled with a perverse sense of curiosity, you can't take your eyes off the damage. Alas, Raavan - despite a relatively modest running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes - is a crushing bore of a film, a disappointment on virtually every count. In this rather literal adaptation of a slice of Hindu mythology, Ratnam casts Abhishek Bachchan as feared outlaw Beera who kidnaps the local police chief's feisty wife Ragini (played by Aishwarya Rai) in retaliation for a crime against a loved one. The tough cop Dev (played by Tamil star Vikram) sets out to get his wife back, making a journey into the dense forest, even as Beera finds his heart melting for Ragini. Never one to paint his characters black or white, Ratnam gives both Dev and Beera ambiguous character traits that make it hard to pigeonhole them as entirely good or bad. So Raavan-figure Beera has a conscience that stops him from having his way with Ragini although he desires her, and Ram-inspired Dev is so hell-bent on achieving his goal that he will resort to deceit and betrayal in order to get there. But what might have truly turned this film into a brave, daring effort is a less 'darpok' handling of Ragini's change-of-heart towards Beera. While she does soften considerably when she understands his provocation for revenge, Ratnam never quite turns it into a Stockholm-syndrome situation that might have made for a far stronger central conflict. As it currently stands, Raavan is a predictable revenge drama that stays too safe to ever surprise you. Despite some eye-watering camerawork and a stunning action piece in the film's climax, the film -- especially its first half -- is a carelessly edited mess of long scenes that make little sense when strung together. Abhishek plays Beera as an eccentric, unpredictable fellow prone to sudden outbursts; he channels Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight, but comes nowhere close to replicating a similar sinister charm. Aishwarya, despite being the film's leading lady and the very cause of the film's conflict, has nothing much to do. She's left to scream and shriek and hiss and spit out her dialogue while looking lovely in every frame. Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does. The director sticks so faithfully to the Ramayana that we get embarrassing scenes like the one in which the suspicious husband asks his wife to take a polygraph test to prove her purity. Other portions, adapted literally, include the humiliation of the Surpanakha character, which is only marginally better handled. Of the cast, it's Ravi Kissen and Govinda, who play Beera and Dev's right-hand men respectively, who stand out with the film's most engaging
Re: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film
This comments takes teh cake: It's too simplistic a film from a director whose biggest strength used to be his multilayered relationships. I felt it was a bit too complicated and planning to watch the Tamil version next week ... this time not getting distracted by the awesomeness of the shots, bgm and director's cuts...! On Sun, Jun 20, 2010 at 7:09 AM, yeshrao81 yeshra...@yahoo.com wrote: I doubt if someone else could have given a much more versatile and inspired score for RaavanBeera...Behne DeKhili ReKeda Kari...Ranjhathey are all oustanding and in their own leagueMy must have instead said the great music was not used very well in the filmBTW how many movie reviewers understand the nuances of the music while they watch the film! I have my doubts if Rajeev has a fine ear for music!!! --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com arrahmanfans%40yahoogroups.com, ravi ravis...@... wrote: There was a reviewer Khalid Mohamed who wrote reviews and belted directors. But the 2 movies he did was utter disaster despite have good music. Its easy to comment than deliver. Dont give importance to reviews you may like or dislike but why miss something just because of believing what others had to say. Every human is gifted with a brain and thought to think. --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com arrahmanfans%40yahoogroups.com, haris zeenath hariszeenath@ wrote: Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does.. --- On Sat, 19/6/10, Gopal Srinivasan catchgops@ wrote: From: Gopal Srinivasan catchgops@ Subject: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film To: arrahmanfans arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.comarrahmanfans%40yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, 19 June, 2010, 8:42 AM  Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film Rajeev Masand , CNN-IBN Posted on Jun 18, 2010 at 21:29 | Updated Jun 19, 2010 at 00:23 83Share Free Movie Previews Watch Full-Screen, High-Res Movie Clips Trailers - Download Free! FilmFanatic. MyWebSearch. com Ads by Google Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Director: Mani Ratnam Sitting in your seat watching Mani Ratnam's Raavan unfold before you, is like craning your neck out of your car to catch a glimpse of the wreckage in a road accident on the other side. Filled with a perverse sense of curiosity, you can't take your eyes off the damage. Alas, Raavan - despite a relatively modest running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes - is a crushing bore of a film, a disappointment on virtually every count. In this rather literal adaptation of a slice of Hindu mythology, Ratnam casts Abhishek Bachchan as feared outlaw Beera who kidnaps the local police chief's feisty wife Ragini (played by Aishwarya Rai) in retaliation for a crime against a loved one. The tough cop Dev (played by Tamil star Vikram) sets out to get his wife back, making a journey into the dense forest, even as Beera finds his heart melting for Ragini. Never one to paint his characters black or white, Ratnam gives both Dev and Beera ambiguous character traits that make it hard to pigeonhole them as entirely good or bad. So Raavan-figure Beera has a conscience that stops him from having his way with Ragini although he desires her, and Ram-inspired Dev is so hell-bent on achieving his goal that he will resort to deceit and betrayal in order to get there. But what might have truly turned this film into a brave, daring effort is a less 'darpok' handling of Ragini's change-of-heart towards Beera. While she does soften considerably when she understands his provocation for revenge, Ratnam never quite turns it into a Stockholm-syndrome situation that might have made for a far stronger central conflict. As it currently stands, Raavan is a predictable revenge drama that stays too safe to ever surprise you. Despite some eye-watering camerawork and a stunning action piece in the film's climax, the film -- especially its first half -- is a carelessly edited mess of long scenes that make little sense when strung together. Abhishek plays Beera as an eccentric, unpredictable fellow prone to sudden outbursts; he channels Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight, but comes nowhere close to replicating a similar sinister charm. Aishwarya, despite being the film's leading lady and the very cause of the film's conflict, has nothing much to do. She's left to scream and shriek and hiss and spit out her dialogue while looking lovely in every frame. Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does. The director sticks
Re: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film
Rajeev was the brilliant person who said Dostana had better music than Yuvvraj :) --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, yeshrao81 yeshra...@... wrote: I doubt if someone else could have given a much more versatile and inspired score for RaavanBeera...Behne DeKhili ReKeda Kari...Ranjhathey are all oustanding and in their own leagueMy must have instead said the great music was not used very well in the filmBTW how many movie reviewers understand the nuances of the music while they watch the film! I have my doubts if Rajeev has a fine ear for music!!! --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, ravi ravisdev@ wrote: There was a reviewer Khalid Mohamed who wrote reviews and belted directors. But the 2 movies he did was utter disaster despite have good music. Its easy to comment than deliver. Dont give importance to reviews you may like or dislike but why miss something just because of believing what others had to say. Every human is gifted with a brain and thought to think. --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, haris zeenath hariszeenath@ wrote: Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does.. --- On Sat, 19/6/10, Gopal Srinivasan catchgops@ wrote: From: Gopal Srinivasan catchgops@ Subject: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film To: arrahmanfans arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, 19 June, 2010, 8:42 AM  Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film Rajeev Masand , CNN-IBN Posted on Jun 18, 2010 at 21:29 | Updated Jun 19, 2010 at 00:23 83Share Free Movie Previews Watch Full-Screen, High-Res Movie Clips Trailers - Download Free! FilmFanatic. MyWebSearch. com Ads by Google Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Director: Mani Ratnam Sitting in your seat watching Mani Ratnam's Raavan unfold before you, is like craning your neck out of your car to catch a glimpse of the wreckage in a road accident on the other side. Filled with a perverse sense of curiosity, you can't take your eyes off the damage. Alas, Raavan - despite a relatively modest running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes - is a crushing bore of a film, a disappointment on virtually every count. In this rather literal adaptation of a slice of Hindu mythology, Ratnam casts Abhishek Bachchan as feared outlaw Beera who kidnaps the local police chief's feisty wife Ragini (played by Aishwarya Rai) in retaliation for a crime against a loved one. The tough cop Dev (played by Tamil star Vikram) sets out to get his wife back, making a journey into the dense forest, even as Beera finds his heart melting for Ragini. Never one to paint his characters black or white, Ratnam gives both Dev and Beera ambiguous character traits that make it hard to pigeonhole them as entirely good or bad. So Raavan-figure Beera has a conscience that stops him from having his way with Ragini although he desires her, and Ram-inspired Dev is so hell-bent on achieving his goal that he will resort to deceit and betrayal in order to get there. But what might have truly turned this film into a brave, daring effort is a less 'darpok' handling of Ragini's change-of-heart towards Beera. While she does soften considerably when she understands his provocation for revenge, Ratnam never quite turns it into a Stockholm-syndrome situation that might have made for a far stronger central conflict. As it currently stands, Raavan is a predictable revenge drama that stays too safe to ever surprise you. Despite some eye-watering camerawork and a stunning action piece in the film's climax, the film -- especially its first half -- is a carelessly edited mess of long scenes that make little sense when strung together. Abhishek plays Beera as an eccentric, unpredictable fellow prone to sudden outbursts; he channels Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight, but comes nowhere close to replicating a similar sinister charm. Aishwarya, despite being the film's leading lady and the very cause of the film's conflict, has nothing much to do. She's left to scream and shriek and hiss and spit out her dialogue while looking lovely in every frame. Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does. The director sticks so faithfully to the Ramayana that we get embarrassing scenes like the one in which the suspicious husband asks his wife to take a polygraph test to prove her purity. Other
Re: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film
I don't agree with Masand's review. Raavan is a good movie. It's not boring at any time. It's not a fun entertaining film like 3 Idiots. But Raavan was great movie to watch Rahman has given awesome background score for this movie which is an experience in itself. This is a different, unique movie. I am planning to watch Tamil version next weekend. -- Anil On Sat, Jun 19, 2010 at 8:42 AM, Gopal Srinivasan catchg...@gmail.comwrote: Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film [image: Rajeev Masand] http://ibnlive.in.com/byline/Rajeev+Masand.htmlRajeev Masand http://ibnlive.in.com/byline/Rajeev+Masand.html, CNN-IBNhttp://ibnlive.in.com/agency/CNN-IBN.html Posted on *Jun 18, 2010 at 21:29* | Updated *Jun 19, 2010 at 00:23* [image: Email]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/masand-raavan-is-a-bore-of-a-film/124771-8-84.html [image: Print]http://ibnlive.in.com/printpage.php?id=124771section_id=8 83Sharehttp://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fibnlive.in.com%2Fnews%2Fmasand-raavan-is-a-bore-of-a-film%2F124771-8-84.htmlt=Masand%3A%20'Raavan'%20is%20a%20bore%20of%20a%20film%20-%20Movies%20News%20-%20Masand's%20Verdict%20-%20ibnlivesrc=sp *Free Movie Previews*http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=lai=BN7d3KjUcTOOaGo76lAe7_9WfC7D7t7kBuIPlsRTAjbcB8OYXEAEYASCoodQJKAI4AFC5iar6-f8BYMnW84q0pNgPoAHCn-rqA7IBDmlibmxpdmUuaW4uY29tyAEB2gFNaHR0cDovL2libmxpdmUuaW4uY29tL25ld3MvbWFzYW5kLXJhYXZhbi1pcy1hLWJvcmUtb2YtYS1maWxtLzEyNDc3MS04LTg0Lmh0bWzIArTMvBCoAwHoA-gC6APiBugDDvUDBAnum=1sig=AGiWqtx-jHVyY0Bz20W-eqKGLJ0FfNB-4Qclient=ca-ibnlive_site_jsadurl=http://filmfanatic.mywebsearch.com/download/index.jhtml%3Fspu%3Dtrue%26partner%3DZ1xdm003 Watch Full-Screen, High-Res Movie Clips Trailers - Download Free! FilmFanatic.MyWebSearch.comhttp://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=lai=BN7d3KjUcTOOaGo76lAe7_9WfC7D7t7kBuIPlsRTAjbcB8OYXEAEYASCoodQJKAI4AFC5iar6-f8BYMnW84q0pNgPoAHCn-rqA7IBDmlibmxpdmUuaW4uY29tyAEB2gFNaHR0cDovL2libmxpdmUuaW4uY29tL25ld3MvbWFzYW5kLXJhYXZhbi1pcy1hLWJvcmUtb2YtYS1maWxtLzEyNDc3MS04LTg0Lmh0bWzIArTMvBCoAwHoA-gC6APiBugDDvUDBAnum=1sig=AGiWqtx-jHVyY0Bz20W-eqKGLJ0FfNB-4Qclient=ca-ibnlive_site_jsadurl=http://filmfanatic.mywebsearch.com/download/index.jhtml%3Fspu%3Dtrue%26partner%3DZ1xdm003 Ads by Googlehttp://www.google.com/url?ct=abgq=https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/request.py%3Fcontact%3Dabg_afc%26url%3Dhttp://ibnlive.in.com/news/masand-raavan-is-a-bore-of-a-film/124771-8-84.html%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dca-ibnlive_site_js%26adU%3DFilmFanatic.MyWebSearch.com%26adT%3DFree%2BMovie%2BPreviews%26adU%3Dwww.NYFA.com%26adT%3DBachelor%2526%252339%253Bs%2Bin%2BFilm%26gl%3DUS%26hideleadgen%3D1usg=AFQjCNF8DnZGE_f7Uch39u_6pNAYKl38eg Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Director: Mani Ratnam Sitting in your seat watching Mani Ratnam's Raavan unfold before you, is like craning your neck out of your car to catch a glimpse of the wreckage in a road accident on the other side. Filled with a perverse sense of curiosity, you can't take your eyes off the damage. Alas, Raavan - despite a relatively modest running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes - is a crushing bore of a film, a disappointment on virtually every count. In this rather literal adaptation of a slice of Hindu mythology, Ratnam casts Abhishek Bachchan as feared outlaw Beera who kidnaps the local police chief's feisty wife Ragini (played by Aishwarya Rai) in retaliation for a crime against a loved one. The tough cop Dev (played by Tamil star Vikram) sets out to get his wife back, making a journey into the dense forest, even as Beera finds his heart melting for Ragini. Never one to paint his characters black or white, Ratnam gives both Dev and Beera ambiguous character traits that make it hard to pigeonhole them as entirely good or bad. So Raavan-figure Beera has a conscience that stops him from having his way with Ragini although he desires her, and Ram-inspired Dev is so hell-bent on achieving his goal that he will resort to deceit and betrayal in order to get there. But what might have truly turned this film into a brave, daring effort is a less 'darpok' handling of Ragini's change-of-heart towards Beera. While she does soften considerably when she understands his provocation for revenge, Ratnam never quite turns it into a Stockholm-syndrome situation that might have made for a far stronger central conflict. As it currently stands, Raavan is a predictable revenge drama that stays too safe to ever surprise you. Despite some eye-watering camerawork and a stunning action piece in the film's climax, the film -- especially its first half -- is a carelessly edited mess of long scenes that make little sense when strung together. Abhishek plays Beera as an eccentric, unpredictable fellow prone to sudden outbursts; he channels Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight, but comes nowhere close to replicating a similar sinister charm. Aishwarya, despite being the film's leading lady
Re: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film
Who is bothered about Arm chair critic Masand's, one sided, biased review and rating? The movie is creating waves in the entire India. He is capable of reviewing only Masala Movies and not the movies of Mani and Benagal standard. Let him understand the difference of commercial and art films before commenting on fabulous movie like RAVAN or RAVANAN. shaik mahaboob --- On Fri, 18/6/10, Gopal Srinivasan catchg...@gmail.com wrote: From: Gopal Srinivasan catchg...@gmail.com Subject: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film To: arrahmanfans arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com Date: Friday, 18 June, 2010, 10:12 PM Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film Rajeev Masand , CNN-IBN Posted on Jun 18, 2010 at 21:29 | Updated Jun 19, 2010 at 00:23 83Share Free Movie Previews Watch Full-Screen, High-Res Movie Clips Trailers - Download Free! FilmFanatic. MyWebSearch. com Ads by Google Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Director: Mani Ratnam Sitting in your seat watching Mani Ratnam's Raavan unfold before you, is like craning your neck out of your car to catch a glimpse of the wreckage in a road accident on the other side. Filled with a perverse sense of curiosity, you can't take your eyes off the damage. Alas, Raavan - despite a relatively modest running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes - is a crushing bore of a film, a disappointment on virtually every count. In this rather literal adaptation of a slice of Hindu mythology, Ratnam casts Abhishek Bachchan as feared outlaw Beera who kidnaps the local police chief's feisty wife Ragini (played by Aishwarya Rai) in retaliation for a crime against a loved one. The tough cop Dev (played by Tamil star Vikram) sets out to get his wife back, making a journey into the dense forest, even as Beera finds his heart melting for Ragini. Never one to paint his characters black or white, Ratnam gives both Dev and Beera ambiguous character traits that make it hard to pigeonhole them as entirely good or bad. So Raavan-figure Beera has a conscience that stops him from having his way with Ragini although he desires her, and Ram-inspired Dev is so hell-bent on achieving his goal that he will resort to deceit and betrayal in order to get there. But what might have truly turned this film into a brave, daring effort is a less 'darpok' handling of Ragini's change-of-heart towards Beera. While she does soften considerably when she understands his provocation for revenge, Ratnam never quite turns it into a Stockholm-syndrome situation that might have made for a far stronger central conflict. As it currently stands, Raavan is a predictable revenge drama that stays too safe to ever surprise you. Despite some eye-watering camerawork and a stunning action piece in the film's climax, the film -- especially its first half -- is a carelessly edited mess of long scenes that make little sense when strung together. Abhishek plays Beera as an eccentric, unpredictable fellow prone to sudden outbursts; he channels Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight, but comes nowhere close to replicating a similar sinister charm. Aishwarya, despite being the film's leading lady and the very cause of the film's conflict, has nothing much to do. She's left to scream and shriek and hiss and spit out her dialogue while looking lovely in every frame. Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does. The director sticks so faithfully to the Ramayana that we get embarrassing scenes like the one in which the suspicious husband asks his wife to take a polygraph test to prove her purity. Other portions, adapted literally, include the humiliation of the Surpanakha character, which is only marginally better handled. Of the cast, it's Ravi Kissen and Govinda, who play Beera and Dev's right-hand men respectively, who stand out with the film's most engaging performances. Both men, particularly Ravi Kissen, make flesh-and-blood characters out of their parts, investing them with sincerity and dodging stereotypes at every turn. Vikram, meanwhile, oozes screen presence but is shortchanged with cardboard characterization, and pretty much spends the entire film chasing after Beera in slo-mo, sporting trendy Ray Bans. Burdened with pedestrian dialogue and too conventional a screenplay, Raavan is painfully dull and fails to engage at any level. I'm going with one-and-a-half out of five for Mani Ratnam's Raavan. It's too simplistic a film from a director whose biggest strength used to be his multilayered relationships.
Re: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film
Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does.. --- On Sat, 19/6/10, Gopal Srinivasan catchg...@gmail.com wrote: From: Gopal Srinivasan catchg...@gmail.com Subject: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film To: arrahmanfans arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, 19 June, 2010, 8:42 AM Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film Rajeev Masand , CNN-IBN Posted on Jun 18, 2010 at 21:29 | Updated Jun 19, 2010 at 00:23 83Share Free Movie Previews Watch Full-Screen, High-Res Movie Clips Trailers - Download Free! FilmFanatic. MyWebSearch. com Ads by Google Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Director: Mani Ratnam Sitting in your seat watching Mani Ratnam's Raavan unfold before you, is like craning your neck out of your car to catch a glimpse of the wreckage in a road accident on the other side. Filled with a perverse sense of curiosity, you can't take your eyes off the damage. Alas, Raavan - despite a relatively modest running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes - is a crushing bore of a film, a disappointment on virtually every count. In this rather literal adaptation of a slice of Hindu mythology, Ratnam casts Abhishek Bachchan as feared outlaw Beera who kidnaps the local police chief's feisty wife Ragini (played by Aishwarya Rai) in retaliation for a crime against a loved one. The tough cop Dev (played by Tamil star Vikram) sets out to get his wife back, making a journey into the dense forest, even as Beera finds his heart melting for Ragini. Never one to paint his characters black or white, Ratnam gives both Dev and Beera ambiguous character traits that make it hard to pigeonhole them as entirely good or bad. So Raavan-figure Beera has a conscience that stops him from having his way with Ragini although he desires her, and Ram-inspired Dev is so hell-bent on achieving his goal that he will resort to deceit and betrayal in order to get there. But what might have truly turned this film into a brave, daring effort is a less 'darpok' handling of Ragini's change-of-heart towards Beera. While she does soften considerably when she understands his provocation for revenge, Ratnam never quite turns it into a Stockholm-syndrome situation that might have made for a far stronger central conflict. As it currently stands, Raavan is a predictable revenge drama that stays too safe to ever surprise you. Despite some eye-watering camerawork and a stunning action piece in the film's climax, the film -- especially its first half -- is a carelessly edited mess of long scenes that make little sense when strung together. Abhishek plays Beera as an eccentric, unpredictable fellow prone to sudden outbursts; he channels Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight, but comes nowhere close to replicating a similar sinister charm. Aishwarya, despite being the film's leading lady and the very cause of the film's conflict, has nothing much to do. She's left to scream and shriek and hiss and spit out her dialogue while looking lovely in every frame. Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does. The director sticks so faithfully to the Ramayana that we get embarrassing scenes like the one in which the suspicious husband asks his wife to take a polygraph test to prove her purity. Other portions, adapted literally, include the humiliation of the Surpanakha character, which is only marginally better handled. Of the cast, it's Ravi Kissen and Govinda, who play Beera and Dev's right-hand men respectively, who stand out with the film's most engaging performances. Both men, particularly Ravi Kissen, make flesh-and-blood characters out of their parts, investing them with sincerity and dodging stereotypes at every turn. Vikram, meanwhile, oozes screen presence but is shortchanged with cardboard characterization, and pretty much spends the entire film chasing after Beera in slo-mo, sporting trendy Ray Bans. Burdened with pedestrian dialogue and too conventional a screenplay, Raavan is painfully dull and fails to engage at any level. I'm going with one-and-a-half out of five for Mani Ratnam's Raavan. It's too simplistic a film from a director whose biggest strength used to be his multilayered relationships.
Re: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film
On 6/19/2010 1:53 PM India Time, _haris zeenath_ wrote: *Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does..* By negation: all the greatness of Mani's earlier films was because of ARR who created great score to inspire Mani to shoot them great. furthering the logic: It is the illogical-ness of Raavan that makes Rajeev make illogical conclusions. -- Rawat
Re: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film
There was a reviewer Khalid Mohamed who wrote reviews and belted directors. But the 2 movies he did was utter disaster despite have good music. Its easy to comment than deliver. Dont give importance to reviews you may like or dislike but why miss something just because of believing what others had to say. Every human is gifted with a brain and thought to think. --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, haris zeenath hariszeen...@... wrote: Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does.. --- On Sat, 19/6/10, Gopal Srinivasan catchg...@... wrote: From: Gopal Srinivasan catchg...@... Subject: [arr] Rajeev Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film To: arrahmanfans arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, 19 June, 2010, 8:42 AM  Masand: 'Raavan' is a bore of a film Rajeev Masand , CNN-IBN Posted on Jun 18, 2010 at 21:29 | Updated Jun 19, 2010 at 00:23 83Share Free Movie Previews Watch Full-Screen, High-Res Movie Clips Trailers - Download Free! FilmFanatic. MyWebSearch. com Ads by Google Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Director: Mani Ratnam Sitting in your seat watching Mani Ratnam's Raavan unfold before you, is like craning your neck out of your car to catch a glimpse of the wreckage in a road accident on the other side. Filled with a perverse sense of curiosity, you can't take your eyes off the damage. Alas, Raavan - despite a relatively modest running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes - is a crushing bore of a film, a disappointment on virtually every count. In this rather literal adaptation of a slice of Hindu mythology, Ratnam casts Abhishek Bachchan as feared outlaw Beera who kidnaps the local police chief's feisty wife Ragini (played by Aishwarya Rai) in retaliation for a crime against a loved one. The tough cop Dev (played by Tamil star Vikram) sets out to get his wife back, making a journey into the dense forest, even as Beera finds his heart melting for Ragini. Never one to paint his characters black or white, Ratnam gives both Dev and Beera ambiguous character traits that make it hard to pigeonhole them as entirely good or bad. So Raavan-figure Beera has a conscience that stops him from having his way with Ragini although he desires her, and Ram-inspired Dev is so hell-bent on achieving his goal that he will resort to deceit and betrayal in order to get there. But what might have truly turned this film into a brave, daring effort is a less 'darpok' handling of Ragini's change-of-heart towards Beera. While she does soften considerably when she understands his provocation for revenge, Ratnam never quite turns it into a Stockholm-syndrome situation that might have made for a far stronger central conflict. As it currently stands, Raavan is a predictable revenge drama that stays too safe to ever surprise you. Despite some eye-watering camerawork and a stunning action piece in the film's climax, the film -- especially its first half -- is a carelessly edited mess of long scenes that make little sense when strung together. Abhishek plays Beera as an eccentric, unpredictable fellow prone to sudden outbursts; he channels Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight, but comes nowhere close to replicating a similar sinister charm. Aishwarya, despite being the film's leading lady and the very cause of the film's conflict, has nothing much to do. She's left to scream and shriek and hiss and spit out her dialogue while looking lovely in every frame. Surprisingly, AR Rahman delivers his most uninspired score in years, which probably explains why Ratnam wasn't inspired enough to shoot his songs as innovatively as he usually does. The director sticks so faithfully to the Ramayana that we get embarrassing scenes like the one in which the suspicious husband asks his wife to take a polygraph test to prove her purity. Other portions, adapted literally, include the humiliation of the Surpanakha character, which is only marginally better handled. Of the cast, it's Ravi Kissen and Govinda, who play Beera and Dev's right-hand men respectively, who stand out with the film's most engaging performances. Both men, particularly Ravi Kissen, make flesh-and-blood characters out of their parts, investing them with sincerity and dodging stereotypes at every turn. Vikram, meanwhile, oozes screen presence but is shortchanged with cardboard characterization, and pretty much spends the entire film chasing after Beera in slo-mo, sporting trendy Ray Bans. Burdened with pedestrian dialogue and too conventional a screenplay, Raavan is painfully dull and fails to engage at any level. I'm going with one-and-a-half out of five for Mani Ratnam's Raavan. It's too simplistic
