By Anand J [Email: Cine@monsoonjournal.com]
[monsoonJournal.com] The movie without any bias is undoubtedly one of the best entertainers in the recent times. If one sees it purely as Director Shankar’s movie, the viewers will be highly disappointed but if one sees it as a pure entertainer, then the movie comes out great.
One can easily relate Shankar to a Rajini fan since he has shown actor Rajinikanth in all dimensions which a die hard fan of Rajini would like to see. Movie has all essential entertaining ingredients like fantastic locations, Technical wizardry, mind blowing songs, good mixture of comedy, action and sentiments with a very old storyline boosting one man crusade against tirades. Superstar Rajinikanth proves yet again why he is a Superstar.
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. 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.
The movie portrays Rajini in different flavors of fun, lover, the terror and the boss.
One gets to see the first two in 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.
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. 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.
The 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.
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 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.
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.
Kudos and full marks to the team of Sivaji for dishing out a neat, clean family entertainer sans blood, gory and violence.
Sivaji – Stylish and Entertaining.