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Arun Gopinath with inputs from Harish V |
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Sivaji
Movie Review
Cast: Rajini Kanth, Shriya, Vivek, Suman, Raguvaran, Manivannan,
Vadivukarasi
Direction: Shankar
Music: A.R.Rahman
Production: AVM Productions |
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First
things first. On behalf of the millions of Rajni fans across
the globe we at Behindwoods salute the Superstar for bringing
so much excitement and joy into our otherwise mundane lives.
As it has been said in one of the James Bond movies, 'No one
does it like you do. No one does it half as good as you'.
That is why you are the Superstar, that is why you reign in
our hearts and that is why no one, absolutely no one can take
the place that you have made your own. Ore chandhiran, ore
suriyan, ore Superstar.
It is not easy to write the review of a movie that features
the Superstar. Forgive me if I end up reviewing the Superstar
and not the movie on the whole, it’s just that his screen
persona is electrifying enough to make my brain cells go numb. |
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The
man was chosen by destiny to give us moments of unmatched joy and
that is what he does in Sivaji, enthrall. He exudes charisma in
each frame. Whether he talks, flips sunglasses or walks nonchalantly. |
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Let’s
get it straight, Sivaji is a Rajni film directed by Shankar
and not a Shankar film starring Rajni; which one do you prefer?
One thing for sure, if you prefer the latter you are surely
in the minority. The movie has enough and more for people who
think that Rajni was at his best in Thillu Mullu and also for
those who think that nothing can beat Baasha. Now you may be
getting a feel of what the movie is like and as I had predicted
earlier about my own weakness for the Superstar phenomenon,
I haven’t yet ventured into any aspect of the movie other
than Rajni.
The movie has everything that the trailers had promised. The
fun, the lover, the terror and the boss. |
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put it this way, you get the first two in the first half and the last
two in the second half. There is ample fun for everyone who is looking
for some. Vivek and Rajni combine to provide some very hilarious moments. |
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Vivek
must come in for special mention for his performance, especially
the scene where he very candidly points out about every spring
chicken of the industry trying to become the Superstar overnight,
aping his mannerism (watch the movie for the real fun). Shriya
comes and goes in the songs where one must say she looks gorgeous,
but there is a very thin line between glamour and vulgarity
and here the lines seem to have blurred. The high points of
the first half however must be the songs. Balleilakka simply
rocks; theaters are going to reverberate with fans, every
time this song unfolds on screen. Nayanthara fits the song
to perfection – looking very beautiful. The STYLE song,
in praise of the Superstar’s inimitable element of style
has been shot in a way that is completely novel to Tamil cinema.
The choreographers – Brindha and Prabhu Deva respectively
have done a great job. The plot of the movie thickens as we
get closer to the interval and it is only in the second half
that Rajni really unleashes on screen; it’s action time. |
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second half is all about Rajni and the villains, Suman being the lead
antagonist. He has managed to look every inch the ‘wolf in a
sheepskin’ kind of character. Dressed in white and white, sporting
a wide smile, this might just become the new stereotype look of the
Tamil villain for some time to come. Villains cannot get more handsome.
The script moves at an express rate here, with twists and turns galore.
Not at one point does the tempo of the movie drop. In between, there
are some very interesting comic interludes involving Solomon Pappaiah
(you are bound to laugh every time he appears on screen) and a few
other comic scenes to offer some relief from the tense main plot. |
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Shankar
has taken all the cares to make the script as unpredictable
as possible and that has worked, as the biggest twist of the
movie fell like a thunderbolt on the audience; you don’t
see such things normally in a Rajni movie. The climax (of
course you know who had the last laugh) is easily the best
and the most exciting part of the movie.
Though defying superhuman powers, the fights choreographed
by Peter Heinz (we are intentionally calling the fights choreographed,
you have to see the movie to understand) and the extremely
lavish sets created by Thotta Tharani stand out. Camera work
of K.V.Anand is first rate through out, Antony’s editing
is crisp and Sujatha’s dialogues are rock solid. |
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A.R.Rahman’s
songs are being lapped up by the audience with background score
adding substance to the narration. Shankar, the architect of the
product should be applauded for raising the bench mark of a Rajini
movie. Future directors might find it even more challenging to script
the Superstar in the future.
It’s an absolute celebration of one man who can make millions
feel good about life just by walking in elegance, by stroking his
hair, or just by being there on screen. It is a celebration of the
unmatched STYLE of our SUPERSTAR; come join the festival and revel.
Final Verdict: Feel free to be thoroughly entertained.  |
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