Monisha En Monalisa(1999)

Custom VCD that came on three discs because it's nearly three hours long.

The first time I watched it, I thought it was just awful, but after repeated viewings, it grew on me, like mold, and now I would describe it as "watchably bad". However, I definitely don't recommend it unless you're TRULY a die-hard fan of Mumtaj.

The main reason I got it is because I wanted to see the "Monisha, Monisha" song performed by Simbu. I saw a brief snippet of it during the opening credits of Kadhal Azhivathilai and correctly guessed it to be from Monisha En Monalisa. I still can't decide if it's just "bad" or "awesomely bad". If I weren't so lazy, I'd pop the disc into my computer and make screen caps, but for now I'll just type, "Simbu, his little brother, and some backup dancers, in space--or rather, in front of a blue screen with 80s type computer graphics and such." If I didn't have to worry about getting flagged again for copyright violation, I'd upload it to YouTube.

Moving along...I thought Mumtaj looked suprisingly pretty. I say "suprisingly" because normally, I think she looks a bit sleazy. Nothing wrong with a little sleaze every now and then, but I'm talking about the kind of sleaze that clings to your skin and won't let go. Anyway, I thought she looked good, and did an okay job in the acting department.

The rest of the cast is just...there. With the exception of T.Rajendar and Vadivelu, I forgot about them as soon as the movie was over. The only reason I remember T.Rajendar and Vadivelu is because the former is Simbu's dad, and the latter I recognized from his other screen appearances.

I had like, no expectations for this movie, so I wasn't disappointed. And I liked the ending. I found it more darkly humorous(and kinda gross) than sad.

Aata(2007)

Yet another impulse buy. I got it mainly because of my crush on Ileana, and I also like the way Siddarth looked in the movie. I prefer him with longer hair.

The movie is very cute and candy-colored, and Munna reminds me of someone, but I can't think of who. (It seems like some actor/actress is always reminding me of someone whose name/face I can't recall.) Ileana appears slimmer than usual--at least compared to how I remember her body(specifically, the lower half) in Devdas and in stills from a song in Pokiri. I think it's the way her clothes are styled, and/or the camera angles. Regardless, I like her figure because it's similar to mine, and whenever I see her, I feel a little less bad about being pear-shaped.

Anyway, I think she did a good job, although most of the credit should go to the dubbing artist, since Ileana can't speak Telugu. I wish more actresses could speak the language of the movie they're acting in, 'cause sometimes the dubbing artist's voice does not fit AT ALL(I'm thinking specifically of Divya Bharati in Dharma Kshetram).

Siddarth was very cute and charming. I was suprised to read that he and Ileana didn't get along on set, because I thought they had great chemistry. Apparently, he didn't think she could act, or something. I forget which site I read that on. Well, I guess she's a better actress than he gave her credit for, because I didn't sense any discomfort or annoyance on her part, and I'm usually pretty good on picking up on those kind of vibes.

Vallavan(2006)

I think Simbu is cute, but what's up with all the white girls? You rarely see women of color in these song numbers. (I'm referring to the "Loose Penne" song, BTW.)

It's funny, because I initially bought this movie(well, the dubbed Telugu version first, because it was cheaper) for Nayantara and somehow ended up becoming a Simbu fan after one viewing.

I think Simbu and Nayan made a good couple. I don't know why he treated her so badly.

ETA 01/22/10: When I read the plot summary, I thought Reema Sen was the "older woman" because she looked about 30 to me. Turns out it was Nayantara's character, and by only three years. What a bummer. This movie had potential but fell apart thanks to Simbu's relentless mugging and Reema's over-acting, particularly at the end. Sandhya had no real reason to be there. While I liked parts of Vallavan, this is my least favorite of Simbu's vanity projects.

Pirivoom Sandhippoom(2007)

Another impulse buy. I like it, but I don't feel it really picks up until after the first hour, kinda slow in the beginning. The songs are nice, and Sneha looks lovely. I like the lead actor, Cheran. I think he's handsome in an "ordinary guy" kind of way, if that makes any sense. This is the type of movie I have to rewatch at least a couple of times before I can begin to form semi-coherent thoughts about it. I will have to return to this post at a later date.

Insaf Ka Tarazu(1980)

Zeenat looks great, and gives a good performance, as does Padmini Kolhapure. Raj Babbar is creepy and suits his role. Simi Garewal reminds me of someone, but I can't think of who. I have so many thoughts swimming in my head about this movie, but I'm hesitant to put them all down. I will have to come back to this later, but I will say that I'm glad I ordered this. I was hesitant at first because I thought it would just be mere titilation, and while I feel that it is, under the guise of showing the atrocities of rape, the part about how a woman's reputation, rather than the rapist's, is put on trial hit home for me. The person who is most affected is usually the one whose character is ripped apart. I don't want to go off on a tangent, so I'll end with, "It's not perfect, but I think I like Insaf Ka Tarazu better than Lipstick, the movie it was 'inspired by'."

Kaaka Kaaka(2003)

Impulse buy. Got it yesterday. I'm not really a Surya fan, although I do think he's attractive, and he and Jyothika make a good pair, both on and off camera.

It was remade in Telugu as Gharshana.

More thoughts later.

ETA: The picturisation of the first song is weird, but I kinda like it. Jyothika has amazing eyes. Lavendar is a good color on her.

The font for the subtitles is different.

I remember these opening scenes in Gharshana. Who looks better in the uniform, Surya or Venkatesh? I'm leaning towards Venky, because I thought he looked more authoritative. Of course, he's older than Surya, so maybe that has something to do with it.

For the role of Maya, I like Jyothika better. Asin looked too much like a college girl, whereas Jyothika, depending on how she's made up and styled, can look either youthful or mature.

ETA 2: I liked it better--well, most of it, still haven't watched it in its entirety--on the second viewing. Yes, this will be one of those movies that takes a while to grow on me. I find the songs unnecessary. Maybe the first one works, but only because I like the picturisation. The rest, however, could've been removed, because they interrupt the flow of the film, IMO.

ETA 3: I think I like Gharshana better. I'm not sure why. I'll have to watch it a couple more times and try to type a post about it.

Kaalai(2008)

I like Simbu. He's not the greatest actor, but he dances well and I find him appealing, mainly because some of his off-screen antics remind me of just about every guy I've been involved with or had a crush on(i.e. sexually freaky jerkwads).

ANYWAY...I don't like Sangeetha. Something about her face makes me wanna punch it. I don't like that Nila chick, either. I'm such a hater.

Vedhika is cute, she will be in a Kannada movie with Ganesh, but I forget the name, and I'm too lazy to look it up right now.

I like the "Kutti Pisase" song. I was suprised to learn that Mamta Mohandas is the female singer for the "Kaalai Kaalai" song. I don't know why, I guess I just never thought of her as being a singer.

Poovellam Un Vaasam(2001)

I was watching this earlier, but ditched it in favor of listening to Iman hawk her handbag line on HSN.

If I don't think too hard, I can kind of enjoy it, but it's not on my "frequently rewatched" list. The reason I gave it a whirl today is because I felt guilty about not watching it as often as some of my other DVDs.