Vettaiyaadu Vilayadu - Verum Vilayattu
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It was a full house last night at the 11:30 pm show (which finally started only at 12:15 am) for Vettaiyaadu Vilayadu here at Edison. Seriously, I have to admit that, for someone with a perverse interest in chewing on people and their extremities 1, Kamal sure has a large contingent of fans.
Kamal’s presence is why this movie will probably do good business, in spite of glaring holes whereever you look. this movie does not boast of a strong Kamal performance. He was merely adequate if you consider other cop movies that he has done in the past, like Kuruthipunal and even Soora Samhaaram, both outstanding movies, not just in comparison. But, Kamal clearly looked the part of the middle aged police officer, ample across the waist, tiredness showing on his lined face. Method acting or disinterest, you can argue either way.
As for the director, someone should hold Gautam by the shoulders and shake him, face to face while screaming “Wake up!†repeatedly before substantial work is done on his next venture – Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikaalam.
After the relatively light entry with Minnale, part of which was rumored to have been semi-autobiographical (he graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from REC, Trichy), Gautam finally arrived with a bang with Kaakha Kaakha. But all the critical acclaim/ goodwill that he earned with that gritty cop drama will be lost because of his retrogression into cliché-dom with the similarly tagged VV.
Don’t get me wrong. The movie will probably do good business, but the balloon of hope, that he was the fresh air to the stale re-circulated trash that is Kodambakkam, will be pricked. The movie starts with potential and meanders toward an ending that will be obvious to some at the intermission. Others will be confused. Some others (like me) would be half giddy with anticipation because it dispenses with the standard whodunit formula by revealing who did it right before the break and incorporating several fresh elements to hint at matters to come. I was certainly impressed with the second half, in spite of more holes in the script. In this regard, I offer my heartfelt sympathies to the fans (notably him and him) in the windy city of Chicago.
What the hell was Gautam Menon doing with those songs? If the song and dance sequences in KK fitted like a glove (even the puke inducing, saccharine sweet Mudhalaam Paarvaile), every single one in VV seemed out of place. At least one of them seemed to be in there just to add masala. When one expected something like Thoodhu varuma with the lead characters in the background and IMHO, there was clearly potential to take the plot forward via/during the song, all you saw were half dressed dancers, clearly aiming to tittilate. Maybe the editing sucked, but that kind of technical analysis is clearly Anand’s territory. And there are nods to Hollywood psycho crime dramas - mainly the Hannibal Lecter trilogy mainly. The one living room shot features a poster of the Ridley Scott helmed Hannibal in the background. And in my eyes, the use of cargo vans as a murder accessory by the psychopaths qualifies as a nod to Red Dragon. But as Krithiga mentions, quoting Gautam, the inspirations are rather obvious.
A couple of strong performers from the KK cast are seen in this movie. Notable among them is Balaji (?) who played the blackmailed cop in KK and Salim Baig, who played the role of Pandya in Gharshana (the Telugu remake of KK). There are several other KK alums that come and go, but Balaji lingers. He started out with a negative role in the small screen with Radan’s Chithi and was perhaps adequate in KK, but he impresses here. Kamalinee serves as the source of the “thali sentiment†and additionally is the “kiss and cuddle†factor in the usual Kamal formula. Jyothika does not really have a substantial role to play and her part in the proceedings is as obvious as any other cliché known to man.
Overall, the outline seems to have a lot of potential, but Gautam’s third offering fails to live up to expectations. To sum it up, in total Sun TV Thirai Vimarsanam style - Vettaiyadu Vilayadu – Verum Vilayattu.
Some people would say that it is a crime to expect a KK every time. But I can’t be faulted for asking for some value in the returns for the $11 that I have had to pay, coupled with the fact that the movie hall stank as much as the bed-bug infested theaters in uptown Thanjavur. Perhaps it was fitting that the board over the door to this particular hall in the complex bore a sign for – you probably guessed it right – KANK.
1. Not a rhetorical statement at all. Ask Rani Mukherjee’s harassed posterior and Vasundhara Das’s lipstick-lined lips!
ÜberDesi
mlc
August 26th, 2006 at 5:41 pmso … VV paththi yenna dhaan solreenga anantha? kandipa poyi paakanum-a, parava-illai, oru vaati paakalaam-a? timepass types-a, illai waste padam-a? unga review padichitu, i’m not able to come to a conclusion. paesaama, unga review oda seththu, neenga indha star rating kuduthaa, konjam helpful-a irukum, atleast fr me!!!
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 26th, 2006 at 6:20 pmmlc: I consider that a positive. I dont want to make a decision for you. The use of the phrases “sucked”, “glaring holes” etc. should itself give you an idea of what I thought of the movie. I know I ramble, but I don’t spoil plots (at least I think so) unless it is a movie like KANK. But, IMHO, the very idea that there is a plot in movies like KANK, is questionable.
tilo
August 26th, 2006 at 8:40 pm****As for the director, someone should hold Gautam by the shoulders and shake him, face to face while screaming “Wake up!†repeatedly before substantial work is done on his next venture***
I hope he reads this post…. that should do it.
Krithiga http://thepreciouss.blogspot.com
August 27th, 2006 at 5:10 amI haven’t seen the movie yet. But I did read an interview of Gautam Menon and he pointed two influences for this film: The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en. May be a tip of the hat.
shoefiend http://www.shoefiend.blogspot.com
August 27th, 2006 at 5:26 amStarted reading the post and then decided to watch the movie first which will be today at 1:30 in the flea infested Safari Cinema. I’ll be back!
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 27th, 2006 at 11:27 amShoefy: Cool. We shall compare notes, he he
Krithiga: Yes. The psycho villian makes grand claims all the time and is surgically adept (to put it mildly). Those definitely count as nods to me. As I see it, there are other obvious nods to Red Dragon too, like the use of cargo vans. See it and you will know.
Tilo: Yes, I wish I could do it. And also I wish I could tell him (and too M. Night Shyamalan) that doing a Hitchcock every time is passe, esspecially if your on screen presence in the movie is very obviously noticable. It’s more of a problem with Shyamalan, but Gautam seems to be rapidly closing in.
shoefiend http://www.shoefiend.blogspot.com
August 27th, 2006 at 11:57 amJust got back from the movie. Agree with most of what you have to say. Songs were very distracting, the movie could have been a good half hour shorter and what was with the background score? Jarring!!! And the weird upside down shots. And yes, KANK was running in the next screen.
dumbs http://dumbs.blogspot.com
August 27th, 2006 at 1:13 pmGautum went to Mookambigai, trichy
dev2r http://dev2r.com/blog
August 27th, 2006 at 1:27 pmYeah, there was a scene that reminded me of the last scene in Se7en — obviously intended to be that way.
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 27th, 2006 at 1:28 pmDev: I always thought that the nod to Se7en was in Kakha Kakha (the head in the box sequence) and the suicide sequence.
Dumbs: Machi.. This quote, by Gautam himself, is from this Metro Plus piece from a few months ago…
Long time, eppadi irruka?
Shoefy: Weird upside down shots-a? You sure it was not screening issues? he he. Chicago had similar problems I think
Hawkeyeview http://hawkeyeview.blogspot.com
August 27th, 2006 at 2:52 pmi was surprised by song picturization.from what i saw it was aweful.
hopefully 2nd half should be better. mavane kaduppu ethtaanga. i am sitting in prabhu’s house and bitching about it to anu and him. my wife is a huge rajini fan. she cant contain her smile. its almost humiliating.
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 27th, 2006 at 3:05 pmHawkeye: One thing that does not change from first half to second half - the awful song picturization. Particularly the one “item” song. Yes, second half was marginally better. As for your wife, she has good taste. I can’t imagine how/why people cannot like Rajini.
sumeet
August 27th, 2006 at 5:08 pmFeel sorry for u Anantha.. I guess its been a long time since you have watched a real good movie. What with all the Krissh… I also have to agree with you about the theatre in Edison. A Positive being you wont go home hungry what with all the pop-corn on the floor.
visithra http://visithra.blogspot.com/
August 27th, 2006 at 10:07 pmkamal fans r still saying the movie is great - the romance was actually funny ;p
Balaji was ok but u cant help compare with jeevan
oh yeah the front half first one down is from mystique river - exactly same
so much for creativity! bah
Zero http://movielane.blogspot.com
August 28th, 2006 at 2:44 amhe graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from REC, Trichy
I am not sure if this is true, though he was quoted so, in one of his interviews.
I have heard people telling he was from another engineering college in Trichy (before I read this interview back last year), which is why I suspect that this could be a misquote. Is there any other source for this info?
Read this.
Kannan
August 28th, 2006 at 7:38 amWell your review couldnt stop the movie from being a hit. But still for an ordinary man like me, I didnt go deep into the movie like you did so I was able to enjoy. Far better than Chan’mukhi, sivakasi, tirupathi, aadhi, paramasivan..(list is endless).
Wanna watch again..Yes agreed on the picturisation of Partha mudhal naale (especially the bike riding with screen moving behind - sucked big time)..Well I will take it as a drishti for otherwise a good move from Kollywood.
Cheers
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 28th, 2006 at 10:25 amKannan:
Well your review couldnt stop the movie from being a hit.
That’s exactly what I have said above. It could still be a good draw at the box office.
But still for an ordinary man like me
FYI, nanum oru saadharana manidhan dhaan!
Far better than Chan’mukhi, sivakasi, tirupathi, aadhi, paramasivan..(list is endless).
I haven’t made any comparisons to any of the movies that you have mentioned. I should point out this quote from another blogger/journalist
That just sums up what my answer would be to you.
Zero: Don’t you think an interview that has his own words (like an interview) is a better source of info than biographical statement. I don’t think this would even qualify as a misquote, because he was not being “quoted” by a third party. It certainly appears that these were his own words.
Zero http://movielane.blogspot.com
August 28th, 2006 at 11:06 amHmmm. The first time I read the interview I thought the other information, I thought what I had heard till then (about Mookambigai college in Trichy) was wrong and he was indeed from REC. But, again, some more hearsay sources pointed to the same college. So, I was just wondering if The Hindu screwed up on paper.
Well, if the question is “Unakkaen indha akkarai?” I happen to be from the same college :).
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 28th, 2006 at 11:30 amZero: I thought you said you were from RECT???! And I am from that college that was 20 Km east of Thuvakudy.
Zero http://movielane.blogspot.com
August 28th, 2006 at 11:58 amYeah, I am. Ambiguous sentence, that one.
Prabhu
August 28th, 2006 at 1:52 pmAenda … thillana thillana meena navel is alright, roja in veera is alright, radhika with saree like poonal in moondru mugam is alright, jyothilakshmi in muthu is also ok … but kamal kissing rani and vasundhra is a huge deal? Infact that is more realistic than any of rajni’s romances. I know you like Rajni, and so do I, but dont pick romance/”matter” part of kamals movies.
I am alright with some new college guy in madras saying this, but not you with all your movie knowledge.
I dont think throwing apples on the navel and eating it is husbad-wife like.. kissing the lips hmm yes.
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 28th, 2006 at 2:04 pmPrabhu: Vennai! I don’t claim to be knowledgable. But I am amazed that you could NOT pick out that the particular reference to Rani and Vasundhara was playful exaggeration! But I cannot forgive him for that bite! Dude, that was gross!
dumbs http://dumbs.blogspot.com
August 28th, 2006 at 7:26 pmanantha you seem to have researched before stating it there….i should have known
anyways i met Gautum at Chennai airport. did not know who he was. he looked familiar and i asked him if he was my senior at Shanmugha:) without brushing me aside he made polite conversation and he mentioned he was from the ‘91 batch of Mookambigai …. anyways after about 10 mins he casually mentioned that he made a movie called ‘kaakha kaakha’ …. man that guys was humble
anyways da … life is good hasn’t been better … havin fun to the core in Austin
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 28th, 2006 at 7:38 pmDumbs: OMG.. yes.. I remember this post of yours. Wish I could link it to on here! Now it is settled. hmmm.. strange!
dev2r http://dev2r.com/blog
August 28th, 2006 at 10:40 pmThat’s not gross, you prude!
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 28th, 2006 at 11:28 pmUmmm.. its gross when you do it fully dressed! If you wanna do it, do it properly and give that thing of beauty what it deserves, i.e. the careful attention! Its a travesty otherwise. Made me go “ughhh”! But if she had not been as overdressed as she was, I’d have been VERY attentive to the proceedings.
sudha
August 29th, 2006 at 1:40 ami came to say tat ur footnote sounds more like ur gay and hence poramai, but naah, ur not tat gay
btw this is what brought me here: http://streamtamil.de/streamtvbox/?p=18
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 29th, 2006 at 9:31 amSudha: Romba pesara!
SKM
August 30th, 2006 at 12:38 amadadaa!I shd have read this 2days ago..:( Kodumaiyai poi pathu anubavicha piragu vandhu padikiraen.
mlc
August 30th, 2006 at 12:58 am“.. its gross when you do it fully dressed! If you wanna do it, do it properly and give that thing of beauty what it deserves, i.e. the careful attention!” ….
ippadi pinreenga!!!! unga “thalaivar” ku rendaavadhaa, yengaeyoooooo poyiteenga !
sudha
August 30th, 2006 at 4:33 ami meant ur cool and not what sounded like a prudish footnote, athukkumaa ?
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 30th, 2006 at 10:36 amSudha: I forgive you!
mlc: Naanga thalaivar nu oruthar-a mudisootitta, avara minja mudiyadhu nu artham. Yes, avar kooda, naangalum engayooooo poittom.
SKM: Yes, that was the general idea.
tilotamma
September 1st, 2006 at 9:11 pmsudha - tanks maa!!
Arunn http://www.arunn.net/scienceblog
September 2nd, 2006 at 1:26 amAnantha: If it helps to settle once and for all any lingering doubt, I was three years senior to Gautham Menon at Mookambigai College of Engg (mechanical engineering)…
I graduated by 1992 and clearly remember the “freshers party” we gave in 1991 (I was third year then) to the “freshies batch” of which Gautam was a member. At that time one of the final years who was managing the show announced Gautam (he was supposed to do some skit) as “Gautam Vishwanath” - remember, Agni Natchathram was the hot movie at that time - and later apologized and corrected himself to announce Gautam with his correct initials…
AND some of the happenings including conversations verbatim spoken in Minnale were from those Mookambigai days…(I can relate to you in person what are those real/reel life parallels including the people involved but not here, a public forum)
I read that Metro Plus interview also and mentioned at that time to people around that someting is wrong…
Vidya
September 2nd, 2006 at 2:15 amMachi….padam paarthen…thala kalakittaru…esp dialogue delivery …chance e illa.
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
September 2nd, 2006 at 11:40 amVidya: naan enna solla. First naan sonna joke is mostly true. He does have his fans. Btw, I am a fan too, but I can’t take this sort of movies from him.
Arunn: Idha.. Idha..Idha dhaan naan edhir paarthen! I knew vaguely about your Mookambigai connection, but indha connection is news to me. See, no one really told me about the real life parallels, but having been a student in a similar situation, those scenes from Minnale seemed very true to life. So, knowing he had been a mech engg student too made me put two and two together.
Btw, I do have to add that the general dynamics between the CS students and the Mechanical students were VERY different in Shanmugha, atleast in my batch. I should say that the CS students were very “Mechanical” in nature. We went on a tour to Delhi together and apart from the presence of a few “gals”, there was no difference. I still don’t know what “educational” value that tour had for the CS students (Dev: Do you have anything to add???). As for us, we were going to the international auto show.
Tilo: Edhukku thanx? And that too, to Sudha! :p
Ifound a google video link where thalaivar talks 5 mins about P Vasu. Was this the same video?
Btw, that link no longer works
nila
September 4th, 2006 at 1:02 pmHello
I fully agree with you. VV is waste. A wonderful theme lifted from a Japanese movie has been made poorly with all sentiments and unwanted scenes. First half OK. But the rest.. total waste. All predictable. Gautam has wasted Kamal’s performance. Jyothika is a total waste and the whole affair has slowed down the whole movie. Tamil Nadu police has been made as mockery in the second half of the movie. US guys got tickets and they check in to Goa.. but police is not able to freeze their credit card accounts… what a shame ? too many loop holes and unexplained scenes.. Songs not good…
Gautam has wasted a good thriller story by unnecessarily getting jyothikas story and all sentiments. He has tried to make an english moview but end up making poor bhojpuri movie. Titles and subtitles.. of no use since no one is counting the days or time to unearth the villain.
Prakash raj was ok. Movie lacks gripping moments after intervel.
In a nutshell, it is a poorly made movie, lifted from many english thrillers Bone Collector, Kashyashi - Japanese movie and Korkoran Korkaran of Korean movie.. all mixed up but no delight.
kumar
September 4th, 2006 at 1:16 pmthankz
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
September 5th, 2006 at 7:55 pmKumar: Thanx for what?
Nila: Thanks for the comment. thanks for the info about all those “lifts”. Hmm…
sudha
September 14th, 2006 at 12:10 pmtilo - ethukku thanks?
dev2r http://dev2r.com/blog
September 23rd, 2006 at 10:58 pmReg. CS students at Shanmugha being very much like Mech, all I can say is this: we were all united in the constant leg-pulling of ECE girls