Incredible. The sheer number of reviews of Yuva/Ayutha Ezuthu that I have been seeing all weekend makes me feel like I have watched the movie over and over again. The best part is the varying opinions. Man, this rocks, seriously.
Everytime Mani Ratnam makes a film, he also makes sure that the people who wait for the press releases and the inside information about his attempt have themselves a near-heart-attack – because everytime ( ever since the Mega Musical Show Dil Se flopped), he begins his moviemaking with a comment in the following vein – “No songs. Only background music.” Now come on! The only guy who can make ARR’s tunes come to visual life says something like this and we are supposed to take it lying down, eh? The good thing about Mani-sir is that he never keeps his promise. Somewhere down the line, five or six songs creep into the picture. I look at it this way – how do you resist someone like Rahman coming to you and saying something like this – “I have this new tune. Vairumuthu sir said we can use Jana Gana Mana to start the song. Something like…” ( hums Jana Gana Mana, which, at this stage, sounds like O Paalanhaare)
“No, AR, no songs, I have had enough of songs.”
“Yes, yes, of course. No songs, I forgot.” A beat. “Umm..I thought maybe I could sing a song or two, if there were songs. You know, for old times’ sake.”
“You…you would?”
“Why yes! The least I can do for an old friend!”
“You will sing three of the songs?”
“Three? Oh, ok. tell you what, I will sing in two, and hum in one. So there will be three songs, is that what you’re saying?”
“Humph. There will be six songs, that’s the only way we can hope to sell any albums.” ( to Asst Director) “Get me Vairumuthu Sir. Get me Mehboob. Ask the subtitles team to do some research on Sufi words.” ( turns to ARR )” And AR, I need some fast songs this time, man. Make Jana Gana Mana faster. I need club beats. Ethnic vocals. The works.”
Thus it begins, and all all is right in the land of Fan(aa)-dom.
The music of Ayutha Ezuthu, as is expected, is not exactly necessary for the movie to progress. But who would want to let go of those audiovisually-stunning cinematic moments, I ask you? Kareena Kapoor look good enough for me to actually smile when she’s onscreen. Even Esha Deol looks nicer than ever. The Mani-ARR combo works miracles, forsooth. Dol Dol was misused. I get to see a gas cylinder when Shahin Badar sings? Gah! Baadal ( Nenjam Ellam) comes at a VERY unworthy point in the film, which makes it go unnoticed. And was it me, or did Jana Gana Mana play twice? Chale Chalo from Lagaan was more activistic than this one, I would say, from the way it has been filmed.
Goosepimply moments in Background Score: the point when Lallan confronts Bandopadhyay, towards the end, has a cello-based rendition of Shahin Badar’s Dol vocals. Awesome!
The slow jazz version of Hey Goodbye Nanba that comes up in the romantic moments between Vivek and Kareena. I knew, from the song, that this was going to be used in the BGM somewhere.
The credits begin with a synth-female voice humming the tune of O Yuva Yuva, eerie and nice at the same time, I was expecting a more frenzied version. There is a point when a sample that sounds exactly like the opening bars of Whigfield’s Saturday Night plays onscreen, I forget at which point.
All in all, the background score does not have any “new” music, something a Mani Ratnam movie usually includes. ( Endendrum Punnagai, anyone? ) Predictably, the music between songs changes as variants of the song that has just gone by, and segues into a variant of the song that’s going to play next – typical Rahman background music. Sheesh. I wish the guy would do something standalone for the BGM once in a while.
hmm
obsessed or obssessed or obsessed?
Re: hmm
Obsessed, I think.
Re: hmm
where beatzo is concerned, one cant be sure. He can be all three and you will never know :p
Bah! Philistines!
hah! cacophonix.
Re: hmm
nah. I think he’s just obsessed.
Gah!
In discoveries of BGM scores… find a tattered DVD/VCD of a bad bad movie called Gang(Jackie Shroff and Nana Patekar). You’ll be treated to a highly original and extremely well done bg score by Sandeep Chowta. Elevates the movie to actually seem better. I did NOT miss ARR for three hours. :)
Blasphemous!!
heretical, even. ‘strue but.
The man’s talented. The movie’s horrible though.
Doesn’t he lift from a variety of sources?
Musically, I am a plebeian. He may indeed pilfer all his work, and I may not know. But this IS Beatzo’s journal, and Jaya and you hang here. Correct me O great ones.
Tell me you watched it with your eyes closed and your ears open. :D
I wish. Nope, saw the whole thing, though auditory senses were a few notches more awakened than the visual ones.
But thats cool.. I watch a lot of bad movies. I like bad movies :P
Through the looking glass…
I came through, honey. I moved on. All the men in my life have made this move possible, and you are the one with the secret. Ok, now Help! How do I do this stuff!!!! It’s so damn complicated, I am like a little baby girl in a topless bar, not knowing from where to suck. Anyways…
1. How do we add the Current Music and mood stuff?
2. How do I add friends?
3. How do I link stuff from one page to another?
Please be my LJ Guiding Angel, honey…
And reply.
By the way, have you got this book called ‘The Complete Guide to Sandman’. Someone told me about this being available at Daryaganj market in Delhi. I thought it would be a nice gift for you!
Love,
Priyanka…
Re: Through the looking glass…
Dear Priyanka,
Here’s how to suck…or rather, how not to suck. DON’T SUCK, dumdum.
Current moods and stuff: use an LJ client like semagic, or if you prefer updating through the browser, click on the “…” after the update-bar.
The rest of it: RTFM, sweetheart.
All gifts welcome, baby. Though I know of two books, both vaguely entitled Complete Guide To Sandman, I possess the one by Alisa Kwitney, and I shall be everlastingly grateful if you get me the other one, the one by Hy Bender.
P.S When you and the gifts come to Hyderabad, sweetheart, be sure to wear a helmet. I have an extremely jealous girlfriend here spitting hellfire and waiting to scratch your eyes out.
Mwaah Mwaah,
Beatzo.
And what Alice saw there…
Deat Beatzo, my charming knight in whining armour…
I will try to get the book. I will read the FAQ Manual, thank you.
I also pledge not to bite off your *Extremely jealous girlfriend*…
And I think a better comment than Mwaah Mwaah would be Aaaaoooooooouuuuuuuuu
Love and all….
Priyanka
not to bite off your *Extremely jealous girlfriend*
and die of food poisoning? i guess not little girl!
– Arlene Machiavelli a.k.a. Black Mamba
To *Anonymous*
beatzo, this is not for you.
People above 18 and weak hearted stay off.
Anonymous,
Stay off, this is between me, beatzo and his ExtremelyJealousGF!
Black mamba…save yourself from my Five Point palm heart exploding technique…
I have Pei Mei’s balls (I mean, eyeballs…)
Hunh!
Priyanka
*pukes at the awful reply* and resumes
I got the
Sanketsignal before. Still, its sad that beatzo has such pretentious friends. UGH! And if you hadnt read beatzo’s earlier entries carefully, Black Mamba is his extremely jealous girl friend who isnt anonymous. She isnt scared of any stupid filmy technique as such because she has bettered them all. Now shoo!To the *Extremely Jealous Girlfriend*
Listen Anonymous Black Mamba
Reveal your identity
You seem to know too much
I get a hint that it is Beatzo himself.
is beatzo a hermaphrodite…
Nice Question…five points to team B, for I am stoned immaculate…
BillKiller…