Kadal

KADAL(2013)

This is the film that I am waiting (a completely uncompromised original film) since long time (after Amritha) from Mani Ratnam. I feel it is near to his own heart and have true literary values and philosophy of life. It is more deeper than it seems. We must surrender to its magic to know it. It is an experience which I never imagined. Total surprise. Totally unique. Totally revolutionary. The film touches the soul, inner cores of heart. What an unbelievable experience...

Mani Ratnam is auteur...we shouldn't expect same from him again and again. Sometimes he is beyond our imagination and ability of understanding. We should be preparing for a total surprise.

What I mostly liked in this film is music of life, sadness in life, divinity in life. Way of life is mysterious. Now we can believe one can be transformed; one can grow in a life time. The film gives that hope to humanity. The world needs love and forgiveness. The people talk about these things are rare. That is why we respect Mani Ratnam. He expressed these true values of life in this film. They are subtle and deep. Sometime difficult to grasp.

Boy fishing scene is beautiful and beautiful and climax fight is technically superior and fearful. He used highest technical values for this fight. And it is not only a fight; he incorporated in it philosophy, and positivity of life.

Man is far higher entity than what he imagined about him. There is greatness in him hidden. Life will bring it out, sometimes forcefully. It is the way of life. We compare this story with world's greatest writer and philosopher Leo Tolstoy's short story "Saint Sargai", for its philosophy and literary standards. This kind of films are rare in India.

Great music, great visuals and sheer poetry…it is KADAL.

I do not understand some critics do not like this movie. This movie was prefect. The cast in this movie was amazing. Even a small role was realistic. I never seen Arjun act this realistic. He really acts like a real devil. The ending visual effects was amazing. It was a experience like the actors were there. The music was once brought back by A.R Rahman. His music always bring us happiness and it does it again in this movie. The background music was again amazing. The Cinematography was good. The camera starts in a very amazing angle. The story was one of the amazing story ever. The story looks like a real man's life. Overall, Kadal is a realistic movie. The story,Cinematography, the cast and the music are amazing.

Final verdict:10/10

Forgiveness or Revenge: When faced with the criminal destroying everything you stand for, which path would you choose? What leads to spiritual enlightenment, following a preacher formally educated in a religious discipline, or a peek into a heart filled with childlike innocence. Can a human truly be classified as being God or Devil, or are both entities inside each of us, and only the circumstances dictate who manifests outside? With a biblically inspired tale set in the backdrop of the lives of Christian fishermen in Southern Tamil Nadu, these are some of the questions director Mani Ratnam seems to be asking.

While the ideas of sin, redemption, revenge, forgiveness in cinema have been around since the beginning of cinema itself, the choice of the sea as a backdrop allows the director to use the various moods of Mother Nature to elevate the emotions in the depicted events, and credit, in this regard, is due to the cinematographer, Rajiv Menon. For a movie with seemingly lofty intentions, the actors do not disappoint. Arvind Swamy as the pragmatic priest who uses carrots and sticks to straighten a boy with an adverse past, Gautham as the enigmatic young hero in constant struggle to grapple with his place in the society around him, Thulasi the young convent girl who refuses to grow up, and Arjun, the man who made a deal with the Devil, and would stop at nothing to get ahead, all of them play their characters convincingly. The disappointments in the movie are the under utilization of some songs in the excellent soundtrack, and the final showdown which, although shot splendidly, could have packed a stronger emotional punch, either through better dialogue or by tweaking the storyline. Part of this could have also been an outcome of editing, and one hopes that an uncut version of the movie releases on DVD at some point that better explains these problems.

Following Thalapathy and Raavan, this is the director's third venture to be inspired by a religious epic. While the other two movies were more direct retelling of the Mahabharata and Ramayana, Kadal is not quite a reinterpretation of an epic, but characters and events were certainly inspired by the stories from the Christian faith (the betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection). Is it mere coincidence that the hero, born as a child to a woman named Mary, and constantly referred to as God's son in the movie, sported longish hair, mustache and beard on his thin visage almost reminding us of the Biblical son of God. Of course, if indeed the purpose was make a movie inspired by the story of Christ, then unlike Raavan and Thalapathy, why is religion an explicit element in this movie. Perhaps, since the question posed is that of choosing a path for life, a religious backdrop is inevitable. In a tale about forgiveness, Christianity may have provided the ideal landscape.

Director Mani Ratnam, it appears, has indeed traveled a far distance from his evergreen hits such as Mouna Ragam, Roja, Anjali, where the movie takes you through an emotional journey without necessarily asking you to stop and think about what you just saw. Movies such as Raavan and Kadal have through their sub-textual intent made us question our premises about their stories and possibly, our own.

KADAL ( 2013 )

Saw this on the release date itself. Normally it doesn't happen with Tamil movies as far as my movie watching habit is concerned.

KADAL is a pretty simple story. The life of a boy who grows up among the illiterate fishermen on sea shores. But that's not just about it. its also the story of good v/s evil fight. Good represented by the priest ( played by Aravind Sami ) and evil represented by rich bad guy (played by Arjun). That's not it about it its also about how love can change someone into good and bring them close to god. Now, that's it about the movie.

All clichéd plots, no unseen situations or anything. KADAL is a normal average movie. There is nothing mind blowing or supergood story wise. But in terms of making there are few things I really loved.

Songs of a movie play a huge role in pulling the audience to it. KADAL album is already a huge hit and there would be people coming in also to see those beautiful songs. I was also waiting for it to come on screen and I am totally surprised!! The sound track of the movie had different genres of songs and I was wondering what placement or picturisation they would have in a movie related to sea.

Right from the moment when my favorite track MAGUDI unfolded on screen, I realized that the experimentation begins then onwards. When you see the songs with the movie, I felt all of them doesn't blend well. But if the songs are viewed alone, they would look good and different. I liked the ' adiye.. enne enge ne' song picturisation very much for that was never what I had imagined that song would be like. MAGUDI also could have been better.

As always, Rajeev Menon's cinematography is beautiful and stunning in the climax scene. The climax scene in the sea reminded of Hollywood movies like Pirates of the Caribbean. I was so stunned to see that quality of vfx making it so real!!

Coming to the actors in this, KADAL marked the debut of two star-kids. KARTHIK's son GAUTAM and actress RADHA's second daughter TULSI. They could not have asked for a greater opening than this. Gautam has some allu arjun mannerisms but other than that he looks promising. Tulsi needs an acting workshop/course before she moves on . it was so delighting to see the wonderful actors ARAVIND SAMI and ARJUN on screen again.

KADAL has very few characters only and they were very limited in the script. It seemed as if they had not much to do in the story. Screenplay could have been much better and powerful. May be the Director Sir wanted to concentrate more on the emotion side of the story rather than the actual story.. who knows??

I am no one to talk about it.

Upgrade version of Manirathnam

The thing to talk here is the story. Jayamohan did it once again much separated from Neerparavai. The story narrated by him was done in a single shot where a small child stands up on its own in Manirathnam style "wow".The next thing is the cinematography which makes us to think Hollywood is far behind from Indian film making.Editing and Vfx work makes the film too colourfull and falls apart from the movie.May it pushed the movie back.

ACTORS:

Arjun job looks amazing especially in climax where a Indian health ledger is seen. Aravindswamy with much more boost up carries the movie all over.I thought Mani sir took hero and heroine for a coincidence but he made them to adopt to their character.I am pretty amazed by both their performance. Gautham has his grand father and his father attitude. In a scene where he comes to the church after meeting the heroine"cool". Thulasi expression in mookil thotam was like a half sridevi.

I don't why do they expect a alaipayuthey in a fisherman's life do you think Manirathnam has only love Ideas.At last but not least the AR Rahman music carried all over the movie cleaning your ears We can hear a much more energy since it is a combo from the past.

The only thing that i am disappointed is the audience who are not patience to a slow movie like this.I went to 2 theater and couldn't tolerate those Intelligent genius thinking themselves as Aranofsky creating and giving tips to the director .So whats the fact is if you don't like the movie just shut the f---k up so that other illiterate like us can watch the movie.

So Kadal is a vast ocean for a deep dive or for a gentle swim that in your point of suggestion.on the way for Infinite awards.