Classmates(2006)

I knew whodunnit the second that person appeared onscreen. The other individual was a red herring. And when I heard the words "barely hanging on", I correctly guessed that A) Sukumaran(Prithviraj) would survive and B) the ending would be a happy one. I wish Suku had been found dead, and that the movie had ended on a somber note. I don't like forced happy endings; they feel like a cheat. **scowl**

But despite the predictable and too-neatly-resolved conclusion, I liked the movie. I was hesitant to watch it at first because of all the positive buzz surrounding it. I usually end up feeling disappointed by or very "meh" about such films. While Classmates isn't great, it's good, and I can see why it was so well-received. Plus, I bought it at a discount, which made it even better, because while I enjoyed it, I'm not sure I would want to pay full price for it. (Yeah, I'm cheap.)

In Kana Kanden, I admired Prithviraj's acting but was underwhelmed by his looks. I didn't think he was ugly, I just didn't feel he was as good-looking as some reviewers claimed. However, in Classmates, I found him quite handsome. I don't know if it was because I was seeing him in his--for lack of a better term--"natural element"(i.e. Malayalam movies), or if, like Vijay and Mahesh Babu, his physical attributes simply took a while to grow on me. **shrug** Regardless of the reason, I now want to check out some of his other movies like Chocolate, Anandabhadram, and Avan Chandiyude Makan.

I remember Narain from Ore Kadal. He's a good actor. I might have to give Anjathe or Chithiram Pesuthadi a look-see.

From the "You Remind Me Of..." files:

A bearded Prithviraj = Kamal Hassan in Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu

Kavya Madhavan at certain angles = Asin, particularly when sporting braided pigtails

Radhika in some shots = Mallika Sherawat, mostly in the eyes, which I find chuckle-worthy because Radhika's character wore traditional Islamic dress, and Mallika, aside from her burqa wearing stint at a Mumbai airport, isn't exactly known for covering up :)

I wonder how the Telugu remake compares. I sorta want to see it because of Sada.