Tag Archives: poetry

The Gorge

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Vampire Owl: I know such a gorge at the end of the vampire world.

Vampire Bat: It is the border of the known vampire lands.

Vampire Owl: Where do we reach if we cross that?

Vampire Bat: They call it the whisper to infinity.

Vampire Owl: There is no infinity in this world. Everyone ends.

Vampire Bat: Our immortality is subject to market risks. It is not the same for everyone.

Vampire Owl: You are talking about the vampire elders.

Vampire Bat: There could be creatures lurking under the border gorge.

Vampire Owl: Yet we leave that area unprotected.

Vampire Bat: Well, if any zombie is going to fall into it, let it better be underneath rather than at the surface. The shadow demons have already crossed over to the surface from the shadow world.

[Gets a paneer samosa and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: Levi (Miles Teller) is former United States Marine Sniper who is recruited by a mysterious woman for a special mission which requires his special skills as a record-breaking sniper on the enemy lines. He is taken on a flight to a remote location where he gets down on a parachute in the middle of nowhere. There he meets Drake (Sope Dirisu), a former British Royal Marine corporal, who was in charge of guarding a tower on the west side of a gorge. He explains that the location is kept hidden from the outside world by powerful cloaking antennas and he is not supposed to talk to the outside world about it. He adds that both the west and east towers are armed to contain some strange, monstrous creatures within the gorge, which they have nicknamed “The Hollow Men”. There is also the warning about “Straydog”, an unknown emergency protocol. He talks about the towers’ history which had that battalions of soldiers sent into the gorge in the late 1940s and none of them had ever returned. Drake who leaves the gorge is picked up by helicopter, but is not taken home as he is shot dead.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy), a Lithuanian sniper who is involved in covert operations assigned by the Russian forces gets a special offer for a year. Her father Erikas (William Houston) who was once associated with KGB, is now dying due to cancer asks her to go on despite Drasa not feeling that good about so many sniping killings from a distance. The offer that she gets is the same as what Levi had received from the mysterious person whose name is revealed to be Bartholomew (Sigourney Weaver). She is given charge of the eastern tower opposite Levi’s tower, fully armed and meant to stop the creatures coming out of the gorge, a position which has been held by so many people throughout the last few years. Levi who suffers from nightmares coming right out of his trauma tries to live by the rules including the ban on having any contact with the person on the other side. But Drasa contacts Levi with a writing which tells him that she does not care and that it is her birthday. With a birthday wish and following contact, they keep fighting the creatures coming up from underneath along with a lot of continuous talks getting them close to each other. But the secrets of the gorge might be the end of them, or will they survive this?

The defence of The Gorge :: The movie’s world is the first thing that catches our attention, as it is really well-created. The feeling that the two towers with horror in between keeps us excited from the beginning itself. A certain romantic side and the feeling of danger keep making an impact from two sides, while there are many heart-warming sweet moments as well as the surprising terror, making the two sides of the coin work so well in balance. The first point of contact between the two snipers is one of the most charming moments that one would ever see, and the quick twist see the danger, and then we see some more of those lovely situations which stay in our minds. The on-screen chemistry between the two is something that lasts since the first point of meeting itself, through the dangers, between all the shooting and explosions and more. As this one blend sci-fi, horror, action, thriller and romance in an unusual way, there is so much of freshness added here and we keep feeling the same throughout its run. The mysterious gorge setting, visual effects and creature and underworld designs are nothing less than classic in nature. What lies beneath gets the best of design as much as the view of the top.

Positives and negatives :: The movie could have had more moments of romance, and the cuteness factor often leaves too early. But we see that the action scenes are so engaging with romantic possibilities never leaving either. The final moments seem to get to that end too early and the climax gets a little bit predictable with a quick finish. Even though the background tale is nicely revealed and remains strong, it is not something new or that innovative – yet, they have made the whole thing look so good and made in a way in which it will remain strong and interesting. The birthday and dance moments are the cutest moments of the movie, and there is also that satisfying lovely ending which would make you hope for a sequel with these two. The battle underneath definitely makes the whole world gain in strength, and such a world could not be made with such quality and style in another movie. The setting itself is the one thing which made this happen. If these protagonists of the movie are not the most likable ones around as they set new meanings for long distance relationships, one can only wonder what else can be.

The performers of the soul :: The movie thrives on its performances as the leading cast make the whole thing so lovely and believable. We have known Miles Teller from Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant making a trilogy, and that version of Fantastic Four which is not remembered in compared to two other more famous ones. Here, he comes up with a performance to remember for very long. Meanwhile, Anya Taylor-Joy is so lovely in such a way that she stays in our minds like a beautiful memory of a lost world. She was someone who started so well with her first flicks, The Witch and Morgan, followed by being a part of Split and Glass, and she made Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga a movie known as much as for her performance as it was for the action and world building. We know that she is also part of the Dune series, and we are sure to have more of her around. She could be the perfect Resident Evil protagonist, but Umbrella Corporation’s people seem to have other ideas even with reboots. She could also be in an Underworld reboot with the action skills. These two protagonists share such an onscreen chemistry that it is the viewer who falls in love. The two are just remarkable also in the action sequences as they were with those cute moments of romance together.

How it finishes :: The Gorge is the one movie which comes out of nowhere to make a huge impact while blending its genres as it hesitates to be limited to one thing or even two. While the film’s mystery leads to some genuine suspense in the first half, the later revelations and action-filled climax keep the movie at the same level, while never losing the romantic side in the process. The blend of romance, horror, action, thrills and impressive visuals make it a worthwhile watch with some genre-bending science fiction. The combination of Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy is something that we will remember for a long time, as the movie keeps itself emotionally strong, with no dull moment at all. I would consider this movie as one of those rare flicks which appealed to us as part of all genres which it represented. The same is not an easy job, but it has been achieved with such ease, thanks to the performances. I would recommend this for fans of different genres and almost everyone, and I would have loved to watch this one on the big screen.

Release date: 14th February 2025
Running time: 127 minutes
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sigourney Weaver, Sope Dirisu, William Houston, Ruta Gedmintas

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Poomaram

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What is the movie about? :: Each and every college has been going through tough preparations to win the overall championships in the year’s youth festival. In a programme which consists of so many colleges, Maharajas College and St. Teresa’s College have been the favourites, with the latter having defended the title for years. With other colleges including UC College and Sacred Heart College on the trail, the two colleges have their students practicing so much to give their best. The college chairpersons of each college, Gautham (Kalidas Jayaram) and Irene (Neeta Pillai) promises their teachers, students and the managment that would return only with the overall trophy. Both leaders are experts in poetry and skilled in more than one art, as they have talented teams at their hands, ready to make it big on the grand stage.

So, what happens with the events to follow? :: While Gautham’s team consists of naturally skilled students, Irene has a group of extremely hardworking and disciplined girls who are determined to keep the promise made to their principal to keep the trophy at their college for another year. While the former focuses on giving the best out of their best students, the latter has come with a fine plan to focus on their strengths and get the best out of those competitions which could bring them the most points. There are these teams who seem to battle each other, and there are the teams from other colleges which look forward to an opportunity to pounce on those points which get divided, and go straight up on the list. So, the year’s competition seems to be something which can bring the surprises and twists, and it is to be seen how things would end.

The defence of Poomaram :: There is a realistic take of the youth festival in this movie, and there is nostalgia invoked from it – this is not that fake nostalgia which was brought to the big screen by 1983, an exaggerated movie on cricket. Poomaram just feels so real, with realistic performances written all over it. If you have studied in an unaided arts college in Kerala, it will be very easy for you to relate to this movie, and if there is a certain amount of melancholy rising like waves on a stormy night, there is no surprise. Well, even that wouldn’t be necessary, as this reflects your college in one way or the other. Poomaram strikes you exactly at that part of your heart where it hurts the most, with memories of the college days. The songs are beautiful, and it adds to the strength of these reflections. There is also the presence of messages, and one has to love how the movie ends with that image of the enlightened.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does has a certain slowness in its proceedings in the second half, and some repetitions of the whole thing. The strength of the beginning and the middle part is only further strengthened by the end. The delay in the release of this movie also seems to have affected the bookings, as one does feel that it has been an eternity since this movie’s first song was released and the flick was ready to arrive at the theatres. There are occasions when Poomaram has been reduced into a joke instead of the celebration of nostalgia that it should have been. Everyone might not like this movie that much though, as the philosophical side of the flick can go over the head of the regular movie watcher. Those who have been eternally looking for entertainment won’t find that much of the same in this one, which is more of an experience raher than anything else.

The performers of the soul :: The movie has Kalidas Jayaram in the leading role, but we see that he is no hero; he plays a character who is one of us – there might be the elements of those college chairpersons or arts club secretaries whom we had met during our college days in him. Kalidas who had won the national award for the best child actor by acting with his own father in Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal, has the much awaited debut here, and it is a lovable and natural one. We see him as the chairperson of one of the most prestigious institutions not only in the city and the state, doing a wonderful job with all the simplicity, and there is no moment when we cease to admire his natural work. One wouldn’t call this work a challenge for someone who has proven his skills at such a young age, but this is a fine start for him, as there is the certainty of bigger things to accomplish for him.

Further performers of the soul :: Neeta Pillai plays the female lead in the movie, even though she or any other character in the movie where not in any of the posters of this flick. She plays a wonderful leader of her team of best friends in this movie, as she is there as an inspiration as the college chairperson, someone who was determined to win the trophy every single year from the first day she joined there for BA English Literature course. In this role, Neeta reflects what a perfect leader should be, and with her strong words, we can be sure that there will be more from her for us to witness on the big screen. Kunchacko Boban and Meera Jasmine makes little cameos which don’t mean much except for having them there in the movie. Joju George is the one face who is quickly recognizable here, as he plays a cop again after the same director’s Action Hero Biju. There is also a long list of new faces doing well.

How it finishes :: The movie refers to the story of a young student in Oxford University who was part of a competition about Jesus turning water into wine. He couldn’t write anything for a long time, until with only a few minutes left, this young man who was to be known later as Lord Byron, just wrote the following line: “The water met its Master, and blushed”, one of the best possible description of the miracle. There are many more similar talks about famous literary figures, artists and philosophers including Henry David Thoreau, William Shakespeare, Kalidasan, Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci. There is the idea about what is more important in our lives, and what matters to be the winner, at what cost. It focuses on its messages and realistic reflections really well, with a divergent philosophical side. Poomaram might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is that cup of tea, which can be loved by anyone at one point of the movie or the other, for it is a special kind of poetry of our own memories.

Release date: 15th March 2018
Running time: 152 minutes
Directed by: Abrid Shine
Starring: Kalidas Jayaram, Neeta Pillai, Joju George, Archita Aneesh, Kunchacko Boban (cameo), Meera Jasmine (cameo)

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London Bridge

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londonbrdg

Malayalam movies in 2014 :: This year hasn’t started really well for me, as I don’t think that any movie from Kerala in 2014 has been even average, may be because of that extending the limits by Drishyam, but with London Bridge, there is a some comeback. I do have to warn you in advance that it is a love story, but not your usual romantic love story – the romance factor is not the point here, and what takes over is humanity or rather compassion and goodness in its most innocent form. So, if you are expecting too much of intimate scenes and the dialogues professing eternal love, you are going to be disappointed. But the love in this movie still manages to be more genuine than what was seen in most of the love stories, especially those repetitive romantic love tales of the same kind. This love might look kind of ordinary, but there is so much going through the background, a flurry of emotions which takes one’s heart by storm, and it is clear that even nature comes in just to help and leave after taking a bow. Why wouldn’t gaia wish to contribute when it can see the loss of mankind’s loss of inherent evil? If there is another movie to which this one can be connected, that should be Diamond Necklace – you will know!

What is it about? :: The movie tells the story of Vijay Das (Prithviraj Sukumaran), a promising young businessman in the city of London who after starting off in a student visa has made it big with the help of his mentor Francis (Mukesh). As he runs a number of shops and money lending business, and in his path, Vijay comes face to face with a huge business tycoon CS Nambiar (Prathap Pothen), one of the richest Keralites in the United Kingdom. Even as they start off against each other in the beginning, Nambiar is impressed by the ambitions and hardwork of his fellow Malayali, decides that he will be a nice choice for his daughter Pavithra Nambiar (Andrea Jeremiah) who is determined to be a social worker and is not interested in marriage. As Vijay works on Nambiar’s instructions and attempts to please Pavithra, he comes to know that she is interested only in art, literature and charity works, while he is always after money. He struggles to keep with her, but as Vijay’s car hits Merin Elsa John (Nanditha Raj), he finds a chance. Merin has just come to the country and is just about to start her job as a nurse when this ends up in he hospital – she is regularly visited by Vijay to show his compassion to Pavithra who starts falling for him, but Merin also starts developing feelings for him, which he also develops.

The defence of London Bridge :: I am sure that a lots of people will be asking me to this, after watching this or while reading the other reviews. Yes, I am going to start by admiring this movie for its assertion of compassion and goodness. One can’t avoid the emotional power of the movie either. There are simply good-looking people and breath-taking scenery – I have never seen the beauty of England and Scotland being captured in this manner. There is the countryside at its best and also London, especially the London Bridge, Big Ben, Tower of London and London Eye. There are also the support of some brilliant shots which help the movie. It creates an incredible amount of nostalgia in me, related to my last visit to the United Kingdom. I know my brethren will be having nostalgia about many things, but this is one completely belonging to me, and increasing my desire to visit the place again; may be there was something that I left unfinished. The movie should make the United Kingdom tourism proud, especially the countryside and London in the way in which they are portrayed. This will remain one of the most visually stunning movies as far as capturing nature is concerned. Now you know why William Wordsworth and company had to write poems; how could they not see such beauty while being such visionaries?

The claws of flaw :: London Bridge doesn’t try to be different with its script, as it goes on and on with what the audience has known for quite a long time. There are dialogues which doesn’t really like to pick up, and there moments which were to be awesome, but remains ordinary. The movie drags a bit, and it can make the audience looking for entertainment asking for more, especially as this movie lacks exaggeration of any kind with its good length. There is no creation of a romantic world for these three people and the romance might look kind of weak from the outside. There are simple human emotions, fear, compassion, love, pain and frustration; even if it is quite normal to have these in a normal way, most people are not going to like it, that is for sure. This might also be my favourite movie from this director who has touched a new area, but I know there are skeptics who will disagree. They might feel that this is not “cinematic” enough, but I would disagree as usual. I am a person who love to agree to disagree when it comes to movies, so you should know. It needed some polishing that is for sure, still there is a typical flow and the movie can do a Hobbit-dwarves-barrel-escape, as it is pushed into the river of love and emotions powered by humanity. May be they could do better with a few wood-elves with nice archery skills, especially as this is such a competitive world that hitting the bulls-eye is so important (unless you wish to be devoured by impatient entertainment-orcs).

Performers of the soul :: The performance department is led by Prithviraj Sukumaran who fits into his role with ease. The transformation that his character has, and the variation that happens to his attitude as well as his relationship with others are admirable; especially from a heartless businessman to the man with the golden heart. He has once again rightly chosen not to be a superhuman character, but a normal human. Nanditha Raj as Merin is one of the most lovable characters ever, and with a stunning cuteness, she has done her agonized character so much life that, her eyes and expressions tell the story better than the words. I would be surprised if anyone would be cuter in a role such as this. But she is still never a weak character as she holds on to life without giving up or asking for favours, and never does she cease to care or be good. One has to love that change in expression when she comes to know that he is the one who hit her, and that was a nice sweet moment. She’s most impressive in those moments of sadness, and incredibly cute in those moments of happiness. Merin Elsa John is a character in pain from the moment she is introduced to us, but there is always a certain amount of innocence associated with her which touches our heart, and the way she finds cute smiles between tears and agony is wonderful success to Nanditha’s debut in Malayalam. She makes us feel for Merin each and every moment like a needle piercing through out hearts, and you have to say that the teeth adds to that innocence!

Other performers :: I have to say that I was also touched by the performance of Andrea Jeremiah which is second only to Nanditha. There has always been something mysterious about her, and the way she deals with Pavithra is worth mentioning anywhere. Her character as the rich heiress to a huge business should have been the exact opposite of our other lady character, but she develops something more of her own, and actually surprises us in a pleasant manner, right in the beginning and particularly in the end. She comes up with something by the end which gives this movie an extra emotional boost. I didn’t like her in Annayum Rasoolum, but not this time. Prathap K. Pothan has a strong role to play, as his character is special, and different from what you usually see with such a character, a rich businessman looking to marry off his daughter. Sunil Sukhada catches the attention with his character and Lena Abhilash has a very good presence as Gracy which is boosted by her own performance. Mukesh contributes as he always does, and it is nice how he fits into such characters. Yes, they all did well and it made me feel very good in the end, I was happy when it finished, and the performance of each of them made sure that I was with them, that is for sure. The songs are nice performers too, especially “Kannadi Vaathil” and “Venmegham”; while “Ennum Ninne Orkkanayullil” is cute and “Chinni Chinni” is fine. They look the best with the visuals.

How it finishes :: I am recommending London Bridge for anyone who likes to watch a feel-good movie and not some random glorification of anything, whether it is cricket, violence or sex. The credit of the same goes to our three leading actors, the superstar who accepted the role of a normal guy in an ordinary movies, and the two leading actresses, one giving life to an innocent girl from Thiruvalla and the other to a true humanist and charity worker who is more alive than anyone else. The movie is strong at soul, even as it displays its strengths so less due to its execution problems. Its ends up telling us that we will know the importance of someone in our life only when we feel that we are going to loose them. Prithviraj and Nanditha makes us feel it, so much more and more as the movie progresses to the end. But I would like to add that this is not that much for mindless entertainment; this is for serenity, and this is a tribute to that love which is not based on lust and infatuation, as we see in most of the other love stories. Thank you Anil C. Menon, for this perfect cast, and it is the best thing, along with the incredibly beautiful visuals of the United Kingdom and the feeling that it leaves us with. It makes me wish to go to the British Isles again, and re-create my time there. The flaws might be many, but the pain is perfect and it strikes as it touches your good side as long as it exists! I would also ask the viewers to keep away from the usual conventions about a love story, as it is not how this works!

Release date: 1st February 2014
Running time: 150 minutes (estimate)
Directed by: Anil C. Menon
Starring: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Andrea Jeremiah, Nanditha Raj, Prathap K. Pothan, Mukesh, Sunil Sukhada, Lena Abhilash, Amritha Anil

londonbridge copy

@ Cemetery Watch
✠The Vampire Bat.