Mariyaan - A Brilliant film in all respects

 

Mariyaan - A Review

Having heard mixed reactions, I was a bit skeptical about watching this film because i chose Mariyaan over Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. I walked out happily having watched one of the best tamil films i had seen in a long time. It is hard to choose a winner here between  Mark Koninckx's Cinematography, Bharat Bala's direction, Dhanush's performance and Rahman's music. But still i feel cinematography is slightly ahead, each and every frame could be made out into a beautiful portrait. If there is something missing from the film it could be the slightly weaker screenplay in the second half, the terrorists could have been more detailed.

Coming to performances, Dhanush again proves the fact that he is in a league of his own when it comes to acting. Though Aadukalam won him the national award for best actor,  I always felt that Mayakkam Enna has been his best work. Mariyaan is where he raises the bar and stuns everyone yet again. Rarely does small built actors succeed at portraying characters with heroism, Dhanush does it with ease and grace. He is setting his standards high with each film, I wish he manages to live up to the expectations in films to come. Parvati was the apt girl for the role of Panimalar, beautiful, talented and sensuous. She manages to perform almost on par with the two national award winners. The chemistry between Mariyan and Panimalar is brilliant. Salim Kumar's as Panimalar's father had very little to do, but has made an impression for sure. The dubbing for Salim Kumar though falls short, maybe we feel this because we have been listening  to his original voice over the past decade. Vinayakan also performs at his best playing one of the antagonists. The rest of the cast fails to make an impression on the viewer. 

Bharat Bala, When the film was announced i felt I knew this name. I Google-ed and found out that he was the one who directed AR Rahman's famous Vande Mataram video. I wonder what took him such long time to direct his first film in mother tongue.  He is brilliant as the director but falls slightly short as a screenplay writer. Bharat Bala is a gem of a director and is truly a gift to Indian Cinema. Eagerly waiting for his next directorial venture. The cinematography is what the film is all about, I haven't seen such a visually pleasing film in years. You would agree once you watch the film.  Vivek Harshan's editing is brilliant and lives up to his name. 

AR Rahman is back to his best with Mariyaan. The BGM's were top notch, but at times the cinematography, direction and performances are so intense that you might miss the beautiful score by ARR in the background. For the first time i felt that the direction and cinematography of songs is on par with AR Rahman's beautiful music, which is no simple feat. When the album was released i loved just three songs 'Netru aval', 'Nenje Yezhu', and 'Innum konjam', after watching the film you will fall in love with all the songs. 

If you are expecting an out and out survival-hostage-escape genre film, chances are that you will be disappointed, Mariyaan is more a love story, a beautiful one indeed. If it hadn't been for the mediocre performances from the cast that played the terrorists, who couldn't match up to Dhanush's brilliance, and a slightly less detailed screenplay in the second half Maryan could have ended up a flawless film. I would love to write more on the film, but it would just spoil the fun you have while watching the film. I suggest you watch the film as a viewer and a not as a critic, you will end up loving it. Being a critic is fine if you ask me, but never be a Rajeev Masand.

Bottomline: Go for it ! Don't Hesistate. Because if you miss it, chances are that you will regret not having watched it at a theater after the DVD is released.

' It's a Wonderful Life ' - another James Stewart classic

James Stewart as 'George Bailey' in It's a Wonderful Life.

It was recently that i happened to watch two brilliant Alfred Hitchcock classics, Vertigo and Rear Window both starring James Stewart as the protagonist. While Vertigo and Rear Window are Hitchcock masterpieces, one can't simply ignore James Stewart's brilliant performances in the lead roles. He took the films to another level and it is hard to imagine any other actor reprising those characters. It was my attempt to watch more James Stewart movies that made me watch It's a wonderful life(1946) , a film by Frank Capra. 

Films are the director's brainchild, but this film I feel is an out and out James Stewart classic. He as George Bailey is perfect, note the maturity he brings to the role at each stage of George's life from his teens to being a middle aged family man. I still consider Vertigo and Rear Window to be several notches above It's a wonderful life, and if it wasn't for Stewart's exceptional performance as George the film would never have received such recognition.

The film is about a middle aged family man on the verge of committing suicide because he faces money debt and is tired of living a life that he never wanted. A guardian angel is being sent from heaven to save George from giving up his life and to make him understand it's value. The film paces slowly showing George's life from his childhood to the day he decides to give up his life. Over his life he has influenced the lives of many people around him. George longs to go places, dreams of making buildings and getting far away from Bedford falls as possible. 'I am shaking the dust off this crummy little town off my feet' he says at one instance. George's father dies and he has to take up the responsibility of 'Bailey Bros Building & Loan Association' and save it from going to the wrong hands. George who still longs to go after his dreams, sends his brother to college hoping that he could pass the baton to his brother after he returns back from college. George again finds himself in a state of distress when his brother returns married and already engaged with another job. He is frustrated, but keeps it within himself. George falls in love and marries Mary and they have kids. He repeatedly tries to leave Bedford many times but fails. Meanwhile he helps a lot of people in Bedford, builds and lends them money to build houses. 

George soon finds himself in a situation where his uncle misplaces 8000$ of the company. George is frustrated and he starts to show his frustration to his children and the people around him.  He tries to seek help from Potter, a rich landlord and the antagonist in the film. Potter denies to help, and George decides to commit suicide in order to pay the debt the company faces from the insurance amount his family receives. This is when the guardian angel sent from heaven, Clarence appears and saves him from suicide and later shows him what life in Bedford would have been if George hadn't existed. The rest of the film is just brilliant, Clarence shows what George meant to the people around him and how he has touched the lives of many. It is this part of the film that takes it to another level. 

We all plan our lives, and very rarely it goes as planned. Blessed are those who get all they had wished for, and often we get frustrated when things don't go as planned. Life is a precious gift, You have to respect and value it. People who have been successful in life have always courageously faced challenges. This is the perfect film to watch when you are down. The last line of the film is what i loved the most.

No man is a failure who has friends.

I am glad that i watched It's a Wonderful Life. Vertigo and Rear Window could be the best films he acted in. But this film is where the actor in him overpowers the screenplay and the direction. This is strictly my opinion. If you haven't watched it yet, i suggest you do soon. God bless YIFY. :)