The History of Indian Cinema has proved on more than one occasion that a movie, however big the lead actor it has, however stunning his performance is, however superior the technical aspects are, can turn out into a damp squib and fail to impress ,if it lacks a solid content and story or at least a gripping and sensible screenplay. Dasavatharam is yet another occasion.
I don’t want to reveal the story here as I found nothing of its kind in the film.Initially, Kamal speaks promisingly about Chaos theory but the sequences are far from that. Parallel sequences run throughout in the film and clash with each other occasionally, mostly for the sake of it. But the incidents and the consequences are related mainly by the numerous coincidences which get too unappealing and illogical after a certain point. An example is the scene where scientist Kamal pleads with paati Kamal to get back the dangerous vial and the fight where CIA agent joins in. You feel that anytime Kamal could ve easily grabbed the vial from Paati Kamal or the idol from Asin to get back the vial given that Asin knows very well about the disastrous consequences. But things are unnecessarily complicated by childish acts and events leading to a frivolous handling, not only with the massively destructive vial, but also with the screenplay. The terrible thing is that such unappealing events driving the screenplay run throughout the film.
Kamal at his versatile best, stuns all with the remarkable difference he portrays in the 10 characters. Be it body language, make up or dialogue delivery, there is no way one could see a Kamal. In fact, in the most cases of the 10 characters, identification was a tough task. This itself speaks tonnes about the mighty prowess of the actor. The efforts and excertion he has undertaken is clearly evident in every frame of the film. There is no doubt that none other than Kamal can make such a task possible with such perfection.
The 12 th century flashback is a mentionable highlight. Kamal sends off sparks with his electrifying performance along with the strong support from razor sharp dialogues. But I didn’t find any significant link between this part and the rest of the story. Even a deep scrutiny will only find a vague and insignificant link in a couple of scenes. But this relation is no way to the main set of events leading to tsunami. Neither is it linked to the claimed employment of ‘Chaos theory’!! Even if it was supposed to be, it was not strongly conveyed!!
When the present set of events are flagged off with scientist Kamal working on bio weapons, the monkey death and chase of Kamal by Fletcher my expectations raised to that of an 'edge of a seat' entertainer. However after such a promising start, the film failed to hold on to my engrossment due to the absolute lack of (assistance from) script. Kamal seemingly had taken Chaos Theory as a premise and him playing 10 varied roles as a support for taking the liberty of making it a 'no story' affair. In fact it appeared as though the characters were listed before writing the script and sequences decided impromptu at the time of shoot.
Speaking of the characters, Rangarajan Nambi and Balram Naidu are my picks of the film. Balram Naidu excels in his humorously authentic dialogue delivery and mannerisms. As the CIA agent Fletcher who is in pursuit for the vial for mercenary reasons, Kamal sends a chill along your spine and speaks the American accent to perfection. Other characters worth a mention are the dark fellow and the tall Muslim guy in terms of make up and language. The Paati character, expected to be a very hilarious part in the film,disappoints totally and the over done make up only gives a feel of an alien creature! Though Bush character holds least weightage in the film and seems least wanted, the looks at certain angles are surprisingly close to the original. But the dialogues for the same lack sophistication. Japanese Kamal is splendid in looks and action.Awesome is the word!
But for the 12 century sequence, dialogues are another major drawback for the film. The entire set of scenes involving Kamal , Asin and the idol is an example. The supposedly subtle and hilarious dialogues hardly evoke any laughter and turn out into cheap 'Kadi' jokes which get you on your nerves especially in the second half. Even the funniest Balram Naidu, only depends on his body language cum accent, and not the dialogues to arouse any smile. The usual witticism and sensibility of Kamal are missing.
Asin succeeds in causing prolonged irritation and Mallika s role is least warranted in the film. The action scenes have been appreciably dealt in a painstaking manner.
I don’t want to reveal the story here as I found nothing of its kind in the film.Initially, Kamal speaks promisingly about Chaos theory but the sequences are far from that. Parallel sequences run throughout in the film and clash with each other occasionally, mostly for the sake of it. But the incidents and the consequences are related mainly by the numerous coincidences which get too unappealing and illogical after a certain point. An example is the scene where scientist Kamal pleads with paati Kamal to get back the dangerous vial and the fight where CIA agent joins in. You feel that anytime Kamal could ve easily grabbed the vial from Paati Kamal or the idol from Asin to get back the vial given that Asin knows very well about the disastrous consequences. But things are unnecessarily complicated by childish acts and events leading to a frivolous handling, not only with the massively destructive vial, but also with the screenplay. The terrible thing is that such unappealing events driving the screenplay run throughout the film.
Kamal at his versatile best, stuns all with the remarkable difference he portrays in the 10 characters. Be it body language, make up or dialogue delivery, there is no way one could see a Kamal. In fact, in the most cases of the 10 characters, identification was a tough task. This itself speaks tonnes about the mighty prowess of the actor. The efforts and excertion he has undertaken is clearly evident in every frame of the film. There is no doubt that none other than Kamal can make such a task possible with such perfection.
The 12 th century flashback is a mentionable highlight. Kamal sends off sparks with his electrifying performance along with the strong support from razor sharp dialogues. But I didn’t find any significant link between this part and the rest of the story. Even a deep scrutiny will only find a vague and insignificant link in a couple of scenes. But this relation is no way to the main set of events leading to tsunami. Neither is it linked to the claimed employment of ‘Chaos theory’!! Even if it was supposed to be, it was not strongly conveyed!!
When the present set of events are flagged off with scientist Kamal working on bio weapons, the monkey death and chase of Kamal by Fletcher my expectations raised to that of an 'edge of a seat' entertainer. However after such a promising start, the film failed to hold on to my engrossment due to the absolute lack of (assistance from) script. Kamal seemingly had taken Chaos Theory as a premise and him playing 10 varied roles as a support for taking the liberty of making it a 'no story' affair. In fact it appeared as though the characters were listed before writing the script and sequences decided impromptu at the time of shoot.
Speaking of the characters, Rangarajan Nambi and Balram Naidu are my picks of the film. Balram Naidu excels in his humorously authentic dialogue delivery and mannerisms. As the CIA agent Fletcher who is in pursuit for the vial for mercenary reasons, Kamal sends a chill along your spine and speaks the American accent to perfection. Other characters worth a mention are the dark fellow and the tall Muslim guy in terms of make up and language. The Paati character, expected to be a very hilarious part in the film,disappoints totally and the over done make up only gives a feel of an alien creature! Though Bush character holds least weightage in the film and seems least wanted, the looks at certain angles are surprisingly close to the original. But the dialogues for the same lack sophistication. Japanese Kamal is splendid in looks and action.Awesome is the word!
But for the 12 century sequence, dialogues are another major drawback for the film. The entire set of scenes involving Kamal , Asin and the idol is an example. The supposedly subtle and hilarious dialogues hardly evoke any laughter and turn out into cheap 'Kadi' jokes which get you on your nerves especially in the second half. Even the funniest Balram Naidu, only depends on his body language cum accent, and not the dialogues to arouse any smile. The usual witticism and sensibility of Kamal are missing.
Asin succeeds in causing prolonged irritation and Mallika s role is least warranted in the film. The action scenes have been appreciably dealt in a painstaking manner.
Technically the film is very good with crystal clear camera work by Ravivarman and superb editing. Although special effects work wonders in scenes where more than one Kamals share the camera frame, they fail to be appealing in the Tsunami sequence.
As far as the music goes, Himesh s songs are already on top of the charts. However, the loud rerecording by Devi Sree Prasad falls harsh on the eardrums.
If we ponder about what actually went wrong in the film, we ll find that Kamal had concentrated overly (only) on his 10 roles taking the script for granted. Having taken the pretext of a complicated concept, the films screenplay merely revolves around a chase for the vial and scientist Kamal by a few others while rest of the Kamals are just present for bringing the number to 10. The unintentional meeting of few of them and how their lives are affected by that, have been hastily depicted probably because of the excess number of characters.
It remains hazy as to whether the film’s crux was God or to environment/humanity. In fact it is still not clear whether the movie had a message. However one thing which is very evident is that no concept was used in any part of the film given to the fact that absurd and childish set of sequences can’t be justified in the name of some scientific concept.
To sum it up, Dasavatharam can be watched once for the lone sake of ACTOR Kamal’s unimaginable efforts and matchless performance in the varied roles. However, the film as such fails to impress, leave alone meet the hype, courtesy an aimless script and needlessly complicated sequences....5.5/10
As far as the music goes, Himesh s songs are already on top of the charts. However, the loud rerecording by Devi Sree Prasad falls harsh on the eardrums.
If we ponder about what actually went wrong in the film, we ll find that Kamal had concentrated overly (only) on his 10 roles taking the script for granted. Having taken the pretext of a complicated concept, the films screenplay merely revolves around a chase for the vial and scientist Kamal by a few others while rest of the Kamals are just present for bringing the number to 10. The unintentional meeting of few of them and how their lives are affected by that, have been hastily depicted probably because of the excess number of characters.
It remains hazy as to whether the film’s crux was God or to environment/humanity. In fact it is still not clear whether the movie had a message. However one thing which is very evident is that no concept was used in any part of the film given to the fact that absurd and childish set of sequences can’t be justified in the name of some scientific concept.
To sum it up, Dasavatharam can be watched once for the lone sake of ACTOR Kamal’s unimaginable efforts and matchless performance in the varied roles. However, the film as such fails to impress, leave alone meet the hype, courtesy an aimless script and needlessly complicated sequences....5.5/10
18 comments:
Nambi's performance was breathtaking. I liked the 1st 15mins of the movie very much.
Yes. Naidu is another role which made audiences LOL. without him the movied would have been a dud.
But still i liked the movie for some excellent directorial touches. Eg, Tsunami that nullifies the bio-weapon, Krishnaveni patti crying on looking at the corpse of Vincent thinking that he is her son, young age Asin-Kamal becoming life partners near the rock (which is the Idol which separated Nambi-Kothai Asin pair in 1200 AD) etc.
Overall my rating is 7/10. :)
What do you say?
Hmm.. I guess the film didn't imress you... But I see a relation between the 12th century event and the present story.
Science wise, as labeled as Chaos theory, it is the thrusting of the idol into the sea that caused the tectonic plates to move in the first place. This is what caused the tsunami centuries later because of the cumulative effect.
Religion wise, I would like to put forth the same argument as I did in my blog.
Rangarajan Nambi dies saving the idol. Ironically, here, man (Nambi) tries to save god (idol). Trust Kamal to place his ideological cue here. Kamal suggests that man (Nambi) here is indeed God (remember Anbe Sivam!) and the Idol/God is a mortal. Nambi is the Jesus figure of the story. He tries to help his people and their faith but is humiliated and stoned by the people and pierced with pointed objects by the ruling empire (resembling the crucification of Jesus). Nambi has failed to save his people and God (the idol).
Cut to 2004. Nambi is resurrected (read Jesus like ressurection) and is here as Govind. Hence the cross mark on his forehead (band aid). A lot of clues suggesting the resurrection include the facts that both Nambi and Govind get hurt on their forehead protecting what they think is vital. In the final scene, Govind suggests that him and Andal have already joined. It is upto Govind to fulfil Nambi’s incomplete prophecy which he does. He saves the so-called-God (idol) and sustains the faith of the people on God/him (Andal says “Neenga hero than, adhula sandeham illa”)
So I think, these two events are definitely connected.
But as you said, the characters could have been cut down to about half a dozen and could have been given more independence from the plot.
P. S. Nice theme for the blog!
@theseventhart
The scientific explanation ,if true, was not mentioned at all in the film even indirectly.
With regard to the religious explanation, I heartily enjoyed your explanation and admit that I could nt think to this extent. But how is it related to Chaos theory? Its probably a link which, I feel could ve certainly been explained in a clearer and stronger manner . He could ve hit the bull s eye had he concentrated more on that.
kamal explains the chaos theory link in th end da. scene on the beach following the tsunami when he speaks with Asin if it was God's act that had ended up saving men..
@susa
Nothing is clearly or assuredly conveyed is the whole point... Even if tere was a link, wats he trying to communicate through it?..Giving a possibility of a vague link which in terms of theme is insignificant, is of no use..
i believe you cdn't understand the movie...i liked the concept of movie and we should congratulate kamal for daring with the script!
@dolphin
I understood what concept he tried to use.I dont have complaint against the concept. Only about the way he has tried to incorporate. I felt he could ve concentrated more on the concept than on the 10 roles.
I felt he could ve conveyed some clear message in a strong manner using such a concept. It would ve been a very effective film then like Anbe Sivam.
Hi Arun,
Please check out this link
http://sathyaphoenix.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/dasavatharam-the-link-between-the-12th-century-and-21st-century-avatars/
and go through his recent posts about this splendid movie. I believe your questions will get answered.
With Love,
Arun
@all lovers of Dasavatharam
I didnt claim the link to be the main problem with the film.. The sequences were unappealing and childish and the excess number of characters swamped the concept and screenplay totally..
ur review was gr8 da...it felt like a proper one ...hope u give more reviews coz am ready to read 'em...
i agree with this review da. like u said its a one time watchable movie. as it is, it becomes predictable towards the end. some parts of the movie are nice, but most parts are irritating.. in all, a letdown for the huge hype it created..
10-12 loose ends tied together by a very thin storyline..
hi arun... first of all for ur work it seemed really professional..keep improving on it... it might lead u to gr8 heights....:)good job...
coming to the movie the first 15 mins was really fabulous....everyone would have enjoyed it..obviously...i felt that for the common ppl who don have a knowledge abt the bioweapon... they understood it only at the intermission where d movie washeading towards....and moreover half of d dialogues were in english and though it was translated common ppl don have d patience to read and understand...they felt a bit bored... but anyways the work should be appreciated... i personally liked it very much....
nice review da, but i can glimpses of rajeev masand. i would have to agree with u that some sequences have been complicated and the story telling could have been a little more explicit. its ok to have a few subtles references here and there but leaving the comprehension part to the audience could back fire at times. (escaped i guess!!!)
graphics a huge let down
if u didn't understand the movie dont criticis...the 12 century idol has direct link in saving the world after 800yrs....chaos theory...if idol was not dipped in sea tsunami wud hav delayed causing the virus to spread and its the main part of the movie..and u r asking abt the link with 12th century?....and kamal dont explaining every bits & pieces ?
@+919895090440
I just wish u could refer to my previous comment.
Hi friend.... Nice blog....
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The concept of the movie demands the screenplay to be in bits and pieces. It is for the viewers to think and put them in place. If you expected a thriller or an entertainer out of the movie, then you might be disappointed. This movie is for the people to think how small, stupid & 'Childish' acts can make a big difference in the course of one's life..
Hope this makes sense to you :)
nice review :) especially the language... yup i go with ya wen ya say u can jus see the movie once for the actor in Kamal.... keep up the good work.. I wud love to see ur review on "Sivaji" :)
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