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Lepak Bro ! - Films Zone
A simple film review blog with additional contributions by a couple of budding local Malaysian film makers.
DISCONTINUATION OF MOVIE REVIEWS
Due to professional and personal commitments of the reviewer(s), there will be no more reviews of Tamizh films henceforth on this blog. We are unable to regularly update this blog, because we are not paid to do so and we only got to do it, on personal interest basis & also as a hobby. The sheer number of movie releases, week in week out, also takes the toll out of the reviewer(s), because we are unable to keep up with regular and professional bloggers/reviewers.
On behalf of the others, I wish to thank readers/followers of this blog, who have read, commented, praised, appreciated, criticized the writings of this blog, thus far. All feedback are welcomed, irrespective of the nature of them.
We do not know what the future holds, but if fate/time/GOD permits, we do hope that we can continue to post regular movie reviews in the future.
Till then, keep supporting good films and encourage great talents.
KAPPAL MOVIE REVIEW
After a break of 4-years, Shankar's S Pictures is back in limelight and this time he is distributing the film made by his former protege, Karthik G.Krish, which is produced by I Studios Entertainment. 'Kappal' promises to be a comedy-riot and is mainly targeted at the urban youngsters. When ones love is in trouble, he/she depend on his/her friends. But what if the friends are the actual problem here ? 'Kappal' explores this situation and did Shankar's protege make his mentor proud ?
For Vaibhav, who has been doing supporting roles, this is a big break for him and his role is an apt character for his style of acting. The character had enough comical shades to it and Vaibhav has made good use of his opportunity. His comic-timing is getting better and even his acting his improving as well. More experiments with his dialogue delivery and voice modulation can help him improve his performance. Debutante heroine Sonam Bajwa looks super cute, elegant, hot & sexy, all rolled into one. She scores in some portions and shows promise. With better choices of films, this young lass can shoot herself into the A-list of Tamizh cinema heroines ! 'VTV' Ganesh was in his usual elements and rocks in a few scenes, with his unique style of dialogue delivery. The team of Karunakaran, Arjunan Nandhakumar, Venkat Sundar and Karthik Priyadarshan complemented Vaibhav well and they had their own moments too. Robo Shankar, George, Steve and etc had supporting roles and among them, Steve stood out for his performance in a character, which strangely mimicked Silambarasan.
S.Tamil Selvan is in charge of costume designing and as per the script's demands, the characters looked their roles, especially Sonam Bajwa, who was looking charming and sexy, in her chic costumes. Art direction is handled by K.Arusamy, and his work gave the rich detailing in terms of set properties. 'VTV' Ganesh's house set-up, as well as the posh houses shown in the film, were aptly propped. K.Arusamy certainly made good use of the budget given ! Anthony's editing was surprisingly jerky, and he could have certainly trimmed many portions, which was slowed the pace of the film. Dinesh Krishnan.B of 'Soodhu Kavvum' fame has handled the cinematography work and it is very slick and functional. The way he has did the lighting for the indoor locations, gave the sequences the apt look and the rich-look of the film was achieved, thanks to his camerawork.
Natarajan Sankaran's musical score works well with the script's presentation style and the flow of the screenplay. "Oru Cup Acid" sung by Santhosh Narayanan is shot in Vaibhav, Karunakaran, Arjunan Nandhakumar, Venkat Sundar and Karthik Priyadarshan and serves as their introductory song. The whole song was shot in a college campus and has montages of the quadruplet of friends spoiling every attempt of Vaibhav in a finding a girlfriend. "Kaali Pasanga", also sung by Santhosh Narayanan, is a comical situation song, in which Vaibhav thwarts a group of rowdies by spewing bad words at them. The VFX executed by WEFX team is commendable. "Ekka Chakkama" is shot on the lead pair and has montages of their love scenes, shot in and around posh and urbane locations of Chennai. The pick of the lot, "Kadhal Cassatta" was shot on the lead pair and a group of dancers, against a candy & sweets themed, set work done by K.Arusamy. Both the sets and Sonam Bajwa looked yummy, indeed ! Dinesh Krishnan.B's camerawork deserves mention for this song. The cult-hit 'Isaignani' Ilaiyaraaja groove number, "Oore Vittu Ooru" from the film 'Karakaattakaaran', is used in this film, though the audio CD had a different remix-version. It was shot against Vaibhav, Karunakaran, Arjunan Nandhakumar, Venkat Sundar and Karthik Priyadarshan, in and around Chennai locations and they were accompanied by a group of dancers, dressed up as super-heroes. "Friendship" is a pathos song, and has montages of the main lead and the supporting artistes, dealing with the break-up between the hero and heroine. Natarajan Sankaran's background score is quirky and works well for the film's mood.
Karthik G.Krish's simplistic but realistic approach and treatment of the script, makes 'Kappal' a fun viewing for most of the time. The hero and heroine's characters were well etched and handled, and the detailing in their characters, could have been a little more articulate. The screenplay was simple and straightforward, although there are some lagging moments, which could have been edited out, alongside some unwanted song sequences. Karthik G.Krish's plus point seems to be his dialogue writing and there are plenty of one-liners, which were very funny and entertaining, especially in the first half and mouthed by 'VTV' Ganesh. There are some loopholes and continuity mistakes in the film, which the makers could have been more careful of, but Karthik G.Krish manages to divert our attention away from those mistakes, with back-to-back comedy sequences. The climax is a riot, especially with Steve's character and the antics played by Karunakaran, Arjunan Nandhakumar, Venkat Sundar and Karthik Priyadarshan. There are some adult-oriented comedy portions and dialogues, which we believe, is a toned-down version from the original scenes.
'Kappal' - Some rough water, but a safe sail overall !
Ratings: 2.5/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
Labels: 'VTV' Ganesh, Anthony, Arjunan, Dinesh Krishnan.B, K.Arusamy, Karthik G.Krish, Karthik Priyadarshan, Karunakaran, Natarajan Sankaran, S Pictures, S.Shankar, Sonam Bajwa, Steve, Vaibhav Reddy, Venkat Sundar
KAYAL MOVIE REVIEW
After the grand success of 'Kumki', Prabhu Solomon is back with his next love story and this time, its set against the devastating tsunami disaster which occurred on the 26th of December 2004. Produced and distributed by Escape Artist Motion Pictures and Prabhu Solomon's own GOD Pictures, 'Kayal' promises to be an impactful love-story backed by D.Imman's melodious music. Can Prabhu Solomon score a hat-trick with 'Kayal' ?
Debutante Chandran makes a very promising debut. His earnestness in performing well is apparent on screen and he glides into the emotional scenes, with ease and comfort. His rugged and athletic nature makes him fit for the character and with sound decision-making, Chandran can definitely make it big in Tamizh cinema. Heroine Anandhi, get the attention here by playing the titular character. After 'Poriyaalan', this is a big leap for her and an apt choice for her character. Her pleasant and sweet looks complements the character very well and her gorgeous, beautiful and expressive pair of eyes, wins us over. Definitely one of the next sought-after upcoming heroines of Tamizh cinema ! Vincent as Socrates was splendid with his unique dialogue delivery style and comic timing. The rest of the cast such as 'Gemini' Rajeswari, Aarthi Ganesh, 'Yaar' Kannan, Bharathi Kannan, Jacob, Yogi Devaraj, Floent C.Pereira, Vetrivel Raja, Balasubramanian, 'Mime' Gopi, Archana Ravi, Divya and etc did a good job as well and blended well into the story-line. A very good work in terms of casting by Prabhu Solomon. Don't miss out the special cameo appearance by Prabhu, as well !
Technically, 'Kayal' speaks volumes for the hard-work put in by all technicians and putting into account, that the film's budget was on a moderate scale, what the makers have achieved is something everyone should appreciate. VFX by F!REFLY though not top-notch, was very convincing, and they have handled the water elements very well, for the tsunami portions. Tapas Nayak's Dolby Atmos sound mixing added more value to those sequences, and its an experience watching it in Dolby Atmos-available theaters. V.P Senthil Azhagan is in charge of costume designing and his work minimal, though it was very apt for the script and each artiste looked the character they portrayed. 'Miracle' Michael's action choreography was functional and sufficed the needs of the script. Vairabalan deserves applause for his meticulous production design and art work in pulling off the tsunami-ravaged coastal area set-up. Every set-work looked very realistic and brings out the ugly and sorrowful state of the tsunami-affected areas. Watch out for the opening scene, where Chandran stands on top of a left-over staircase ! I.Samuel 2:8 takes care of the editing work and though the climax portion was well cut, the film could do better with some trimming, especially in the first half, which takes its own sweet time unraveling. Complementing the screenplay and Prabhu Solomon's vision is Vetrivel Mahendran's cinematography work. The makers have taken us to every nook and corner of India, unexplored by Tamizh cinema before. The awesome visuals gives us a feeling of watching National Geographic or Discovery Channel documentaries. The climax scene, shot in Kanyakumari, featuring the Valluvar statue and Vivekanandha Ashram, set against the monstrous tsunami, was very eye-catching. Very well, done !
D.Imman's musical composition serves as the backbone of the film. The Prabhu Solomon-D.Imman-Yugabharathi combo has served another simple, melodious and soothing track numbers, in which some of them are absolute haunting numbers. "Paravayaa Parakurom", is a travelogue-type song and features Chandran and Vincent, exploring various parts of India such as Leh, Ladakh, Kaargil, Ajmer, Pushkar, Cherapunji, Shilom, Meghalaya, Kanyakumari and etc. The locations were breath-taking and serves as a great canvas for Vetrivel Mahendran's lenses. "Engirunthu Vanthayo" is a haunting number sang by Shreya Ghoshal shot on Anandhi. The pathos song had the female character mired in a state of confusion. Check out the majestic and beautiful Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya, in this song ! "Yen Aala", shot is a montage-filled dream song, shot on both Chandran and Anandhi. The lush green orchards and naturally brightly-lit paddy fields serves as great backdrop for the song. Anandhi's expressions speaks hundreds of words, in this song ! "Koodave Vara" is a situational bit-song and featured the main leads in search of each other. "Unnai Ippo" is the pick of the lot and the soothing melody was featured montages of the lead pair, searching for each other in different portions. Anandhi's Kanyakumari shots were particularly noteworthy. "Deeyalo" was shot against a Christmas festival celebration backdrop and featured a real church festival as its location. The colorful lighting and crowd factor, added value to the song's concept. "Enge Pulla" sung by Balram, is a very haunting number and is shot on Chandran, getting caught and losing himself in the devastating tsunami waves. The dusty and chaotic atmosphere of a tsunami-affected area was aptly portrayed and presented. D.Imman's heavy and haunting background score helps to sustain Prabhu Solomon's melodramatic writing of his sequences. Though the songs are good, it sort of spoils the flow of the screenplay, especially when you have too many songs.
What worked big in 'Mynaa' and 'Kumki' was the love quotient between the lead pairs, which traveled throughout the films. But in 'Kayal', characters are the ones' travelling and the love takes a backseat ! The film's love angle has no depth in it and its too light to be taken serious. But, the stretch of sequences, which brings the hero and heroine to a meeting-point in the film, was brilliantly written and handled. Prabhu Solomon's handling of drama, comedy and love in those portions was dealt in a nifty manner. The earthy background and simple characters, brings a refreshing element into the script, and the melodrama in the film, certainly helps to elevate some portions of the film. The problem starts when Prabhu Solomon tries too hard and too much in establishing the melodramatic moments, and overdoes it. A little bit of underplaying, would have done wonders to the film. In 'Kayal', nature plays the spoilsport of the lovers, but as mentioned earlier, the impact it needed to create was not powerful enough, to drench us into a sorrow and pitiful state. Prabhu Solomon's quirky humor element worked out well, especially with the character and supporting artistes. Prabhu Solomon could have toned down the philosophical-heavy scenes in the first half, which gets preachy at times. With 'Kayal' Prabhu Solomon tries hard to churn out an classic which can stand against the test of times, like how the lead pair stood against the tsunami, but unfortunately, the film doesn't reach that dizzy heights, though its good in bits and pieces.
'Kayal' - Anandhi is a 'Kayal' indeed !
Ratings: 2.75/5 STARS
Labels: 'Yaar' Kannan, Anandhi, Chandran, D.Imman, I.Samuel 2:8, Prabhu Solomon, Vairabalan, Vetrivel Mahendran, Vincent, Yogi Devaraj
PISAASU MOVIE REVIEW
After the critically-acclaimed dark and morbid ' Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum', director Mysskin is back and intriguingly, he has chose horror as his next genre. Being an atheist and joining hands with fellow hard-hitting director Bala as the producer, it definitely piques the interest of Tamizh audience. Produced under Bala's B Studios, can Mysskin pull of another brilliant piece of work ?
Naga, an assistant director of Bala, makes his debut as an actor and he excels in his role. The hard work he put in, for learning the violin-playing techniques, paid of well. Though his characterization reminds us of Prasanna's character from 'Anjaathey', Naga commands a good screen presence and hope he chooses proper scripts which can elevate his status in Tamizh industry. Debutante actress Prayaga Martin, looks angelic as herself, but unfortunately she's the purported "pisaasu" of the film and is seen only in her make-up. Kudos for the arduous and grueling task she had to go through. Hope this charming lass becomes a household name in Tamizh cinema. Radha Ravi's performance was an absolute screamer and the veteran literally stole the show, in those emotional scenes ! Hope we get to see more of such performances from this ace character artiste. Harish Uthaman, Kani Kusruti, Kalyani Natarajan, Arnold, John, Om Selva, Bala and etc make up for the rest of the cast and they ably supported the main leads.
On the technical front, 'Pisaasu' is definitely top-notch and Mysskin has extracted wonderful work from his technicians. The action scene choreographed by Mysskin himself with additional output from Tony Leung Siu-hung, was brilliantly staged and beautifully picturized. It's very realistic and raw, but relevant to the nature of the scene. Gopinath's editing was in tandem with Mysskin's style of story presentation. The film's pace and flow was very apt for Mysskin's style and the duration of the film was kept in check. The sharp cuts for the sequences involving the ghost, made the trick, in spooking or freaking us out at the most unexpected of times. Art direction is handled by Jayashree Lakshminarayanan, and the all important protagonist's apartment setup was aesthetically done. The plenty of space in the apartment complemented Mysskin's wide-angle type scenes. Cinematography by Ravi Roy was excellent, especially with all the wide-angle shots, low-angle shots, long shots, slow-motion technique, static camera and the usage of GoPro camera, were very creatively used and re-establishes Mysskin's own style of scene presentation. The lighting was very well taken care, and its important for such scripts, especially when you involve the horror element. The way some scenes were framed, asked for our undivided attention ! Equally impressive was Arrol Corelli's background score. The solo song, "Nadhi Pogum" sung by Uthra Unnikrishnan, was shot on the protagonist, who plays a pathos piece on his violin, and surrounded by beggars and physically-challenged. The subway shots were very well framed and the song catches our attention, with its sad mood. Arrol Corelli's background score is heavy in violin-based re-recording and it serves like an ode to 'Isaignani' Ilaiyaraaja. The heavy tone delivers the right mood and apt depth for the emotional sequences, as well as for the hair-raising moments. Certainly a talent to look out for !
What makes Mysskin's 'Pisaasu' stand out from the regular horror films, is the innovative story-line and the emotional hook, which is the surprise package. Mysskin's compelling presentation, his visual sense, the gripping scene development, everything screams brand "MYSSKIN". The various camera angles associated with his films like the wide-angle, low-angle, static camera, frozen shots and in 'Pisaasu', the usage of GoPro camera, worked out tremendously well for the film. The element of colors as the point of focus, too was very obvious with 'Pisaasu'. Even comedy was very well handled in the film, and its great to watch how Mysskin intertwined humor and scare factor into a single scene, in his own style. The only potential low-point of the film, would be the weak emotional bonding in the "romance" portion. There is no affirmative scene which establishes the importance or reason for the love to be present in the first place. 'Pisaasu' proves that Mysskin has grown into or developed into an extraordinary filmmaker, with his own stamp of film-making style (scene visualization and thematic elements), if you compare it with his earlier films. This uncompromising way of scripting and presenting a film, deserves a big round of applause.
'Pisaasu' - Simple, yet terrifyingly scripted and executed.
Labels: Arrol Corelli, B Studios, Bala, Harish Uthaman, Kani Kusruti, mysskin, Naga, Prayaga Martin, Radha Ravi, Ravi Roy, Tony Leung Siu-hung
LINGAA MOVIE REVIEW
Creating one of the biggest buzz of the year, 'Lingaa' was eagerly expected by each and every die-hard fans of 'Superstar' Rajinikanth, because it has been 4 long years, since his last live action film, 'Endhiran'. Besides that, he is making a comeback under the baton of K.S Ravikumar, who gave two of 'Superstar' Rajinikanth's biggest blockbusters, 'Muthu' and 'Padayappa'. This combo has tried to resuscitate their pairing with 'Lingaa' after the 'Jaggubhai' and 'Rana' got dropped for various reasons. The name 'Superstar' Rajinikanth itself is enough to generate enormous buzz and expectations. Can 'Lingaa' satiate the hunger of his millions of fans ?
'Superstar' Rajinikanth is an eternal style icon and the man proves that age is no barrier for his dashing presence and energetic performance. He holds your entire attention when he is on the screen and the matinee idol looks great in his stylish costumes, although the make-up was a little tacky. The period portion featuring the star as Prince cum Collector cum civil engineer Raja Lingeshwaran is an absolute treat for the audience, because this is the 'Superstar' Rajinikanth everyone wishes to see. You get all the machismo factor and the occasional philosophical lines, which, catches your attention instantaneously, especially when he mouths it nonchalantly. Anushka Shetty's role has some bearing on the script, and nothing much more. She definitely has to take care of her weight, though ! Bollywood A-lister, Sonakshi Sinha makes her Tamizh debut and her pan-Indian looks, makes her fit for her role as a common woman of the 1930's era. Chinmayi's dubbing for her works out in her favor but her character has minimal weightage on the script. Santhanam, brings in his usual fantastic comic-timing and his dialogues are a scream in certain places. Jagapati Babu as the antagonist, was unfortunately wasted and his characterization was poorly written. The rest of the star cast includes veteran director K.Viswanath, Karunakaran, Balaji, Dev Gill, Brahmanandam, Radha Ravi, Vijayakumar, 'Nizhalgal' Ravi, R.Sundarrajan, Manobala, 'Crane' Manohar, Anu Mohan, Falk Columbo, William Orendorff and etc.
'Lingaa' is technically rich with superior production design and grandeur attached to it. Nikhaar Dhawan's costume designing was simple, yet stylish and colorful. 'Superstar' Rajinikanth's lightweight costumes, enabled him to showcase his usual speed, yet at the same very colorful and stylish. Sonakshi Sinha's looks were well maintained for the talkie portions and she looks graceful in the song, as well. Action choreography is handled by T.Ramesh and Lee Whittaker. The action scene involving 'Superstar' Rajinikanth as Raja Lingeshwaran, on top of the train was brilliantly choreographed and superbly staged. But what happened in the climax hot-air balloon scene is a complete shocker, and 'Superstar' Rajinikanth's larger-than-life quotient was simply overblown ! Production design by Sabu Cyril and the art direction by his assistant A.Amaran deserves great round of applause for their arduous task of creating a huge, dam-like set, which must look like in an under-construction stage, in a record-breaking short time ! Its nearly equivalent to a Shankar-type set work, and the 1930's period looks was very aptly captured. The various set work for the songs, too deserves mention, although most of them reminds of 'Superstar' Rajinikanth's 'Sivaji - The Boss'. Samjith MHD's editing could have been much better, especially with the continuity and flow of the screenplay in the second half. The excessive duration of the film, is also a minus point from the editing perspective. VFX, supervised by P.C Sanath, is a big disappointment, especially in the climax portion, and it looks very tacky. To blame it on the production cost or on less availability of time, can only be decided by the makers ! The film wouldn't have looked this good on screen, if not for R.Rathnavelu's cinematography. His top-angle shots for the Linganamakki Dam, situated in the Shimoga district of Karnatae, were real treat to the eyes. The color correction for the period look, shot in Mysore and other districts of Karnataka, was top-notch. The usage of Red Dragon 6K camera and the Phantom Flex 4K for the train action sequence, deserves a round of applause. The lighting for the train-fight scene, is a must see !
Musical score by A.R Rahman, is hugely disappointing because none of his songs, stands out impressively and all of them are just temporary listens. The imperative S.P Balasubrahmanyam opening song, "Oh Nanba" was shot in dazzling urban locations of Macau and also in the luxurious Ferrari World, located in Abu Dhabi. 'Superstar' Rajinikanth was given space to dance, backed up by hundreds of foreign dancers. "Mona Gasolina" brings us the energetic Mano as the voice of 'Superstar' Rajinikanth and the energy was equally matched by our 'Superstar' Rajinikanth. The song shot on 'Superstar' Rajinikanth and Anushka had various dreamy sequences such as the pirates theme, cowboy theme and futuristic space-ship theme as backdrop and each sets were well designed by Sabu Cyril and A.Amaran. "En Mannavane" is the duet shot on 'Superstar' Rajinikanth and Sonakshi Sinha and it has the typical Bollywood color and flavor to it, be it the costumes of the lead artistes or even the colorful and beautiful set, put up for the song. The lighting for the song looks amazing, and brings out the richness and splendor of the set. "Indiane Vaa" is a situational song featuring 'Superstar' Rajinikanth and most of the cast, depicting the construction of the dam, shot near the Jog Falls and the Linganamakki Dam, looks majestic and involves most of the star cast. The follow-up pathos song, "Unmai Orunaal" has montages of 'Superstar' Rajinikanth facing a crisis and appears immediately after the previous song. A.R Rahman's background score is impressive only in a few places and it proves that the ace musician needs ample of time, to deliver quality music.
The story of 'Lingaa' was written by Ponkumaran and is loosely based on Colonel John Pennycuick CSI, a British Army engineer and civil servant, who undertook the construction of Mullaiperiyar Dam. K.S Ravikumar takes charge of the screenplay, dialogues and direction. Apart from the philosophical dialogues uttered by the senior 'Superstar' Rajinikanth, K.S Ravikumar fails in the other two components. The screenplay has poor flow and continuity and has no spunk or zing in it. 'Muthu' and 'Padayappa' worked tremendously well, due to the right placing of comedy, action and emotional scenes, but more importantly it had strong emotional thread and a powerful antagonist, respectively. But none of them is present in 'Lingaa' and the film fails to rise above its flaws, even with the presence of 'Superstar' Rajinikanth. The writing looks very much 1980's material and is no-way in tune with current trend. The whole script lacked proper writing and its astonishing to note that K.S Ravikumar had a team of screenplay & script-writers to fine tune this script ! What were the makers thinking when they came out with that ridiculous action scene in the climax, can only be explained by the makers themselves. Its perplexing to note that K.S Ravikumar can take the audience for granted, especially when the film involves 'Superstar' Rajinikanth, who can easily get the best of artistes and technicians for his films. Why not come out with a decent script and a racy screenplay, and execute it properly ?
'Lingaa' - 'Superstar' Rajinikanth to the rescue !
Labels: 'Superstar' Rajinikanth, A.Amaran, A.R Rahman, Anushka Shetty, Brahmanandam, Jagapati Babu, K.S Ravikumar, K.Viswanath, Lee Whittaker, R.Rathnavelu, Radha Ravi, Sabu Cyril, Santhanam, Sonakshi Sinha, T.Ramesh
KAAVIYATHALAIVAN MOVIE REVIEW
One of the most eagerly expected movies of the year, 'Kaaviyathalaivan' brings G.Vasanta Balan back to the forefront after the average 'Aravaan' released in 2012. A period film, based in the 1930's and depicting the golden age of Madurai's theater companies and its artistes' lifestyle, is certainly a fantastic premise and supposedly a treat for connoisseurs of Tamizh cinema. Produced by industrialist Varun Manian and YNot Studios' S.Sashikanth, can G.Vasanta Balan strike gold, with the backing of A-list performers and technicians ?
The film certainly belongs to the two male leads and both Siddharth and Prithviraj Sukumaran compete fiercely with each other to deliver good performances. The film is seen from Prithviraj's point of view and being the antagonist himself Prithviraj, making a comeback to Tamizh cinema after 4-year absence, has delivered a very professional performance and his expressions were top-notch. The "tamasic" nature of his character was very well brought out by him. The only drawback one could find with his performance, is his dialogue deliveries, which are laced with Malayalam-accent, which is surely a no-no for this type of film. Siddharth however steals the show, with arguably one of his best performances of his career. His body language, facial expression, eye-movements were terrific and his earnestness is so apparent on screen. Both male leads rocked the stage show sequences and kudos to them once again ! Vedhicka looked like a million bucks and has performed well, in a character with limited screen timing. Her dancing talents were put to good use and hope to see this beautiful damsel, doing more good roles in Tamizh cinema. Anaika Soti makes her Tamizh debut and is okay, though she clearly doesn't fit into the script. Veteran Nassar was majestic as Sivadass Swamigal and the ace performer delivered a near flawless performance. Thambi Ramaiah and Singampuli provide the comic relief and the rest of the cast includes Babu Antony, Mansoor Ali Khan, Ponvannan, Kuyili, Karikalan, V.K.T Balan, George, T.P Gajendran, Anjali Devi, Gayathri, Ponnammah and etc.
With a big budget and top-class technicians, 'Kaaviyathalaivan' has fantastic technical outputs and is a treat for the audience. Perumal Selvam and Niranjani Agathiyan are in charge of the costume designing and kudos for their homework on the attires of the artistes, which resembled the drama troupe folks of 1930s. Also, the detailing in costume designing for the stage show sequences, deserves mention for the designers. Very good work ! Action choreography is by B.Thyagarajan and his work fits the script's nature and is effective. T.Santhanam takes care of the art direction and he deserves a round of applause for the set work he created for the entire film. The sets for stage plays, the drama troupe's home, the palace bedroom and various other sets, as well as the properties pertaining to those period, were all rich and intricate in details. T.Santhanam's art work adds plenty of color to the film and becomes the basis for the film's screenplay. Fantastic output ! Praveen K.L's editing was clean and he keeps the tempo of the film stable throughout, but the length of the film is an issue. But the way he edited the stage play sequences, deserves a special mention. The film wouldn't have attracted attention, if not for Nirav Shah's cinematography. A splendid work of art from Nirav Shah ! He brings out the right look and feel of that era, with apt lighting and color tone. The stage play sequences, especially the "Mahabharatham" episode was a brilliant piece of work by Nirav Shah.
Music by Academy Award-winner, A.R Rahman was classy and mesmerizing but they sound very contemporary in composition. And the style adapted in instrumentation, reflected more of M.S Vishwanathan's era, rather than the 1930's & 1940's era of Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and P.U Chinnappa. The opening "Vaanga Makka Vaanga" is one of the best of the lot and was shot on the male leads and their drama troupe. The song has many shots of various stage plays and some scenic locales of the Karaikudi and the surrounding Chettinadu area, becomes the backdrop of the song. The extended "Alli Arjuna" song appears in bits and pieces and is a stage act, plucked from the 'Mahabharatham' episodes. "Thirrupugazh" sung by the legendary Vani Jeyaram, is the introductory song of Vedhicka and was shot on her, performing intricate dance movements, with style and elan. "Sandi Kuthirai" was shot on Siddharth and Anaika Soti and is a complete dance number, which was shot like a stage act. Siddharth's character was portrayed teasing Anaika Soti, with the help of Singampuli. "Sollividu" is a another melodramatic song, shot on the two male leads, enacting the epic 'Karnan' episode from "Mahabharatham". The cinematorgraphy and the rich detailing in art work for this song deserves special mention ! "Aye, Mr.Minor" was shot on Siddharth and Anaika Soti and it acts like a night rendezvous between the love-struck couple. The art work, depicting a Madurai palace bedroom and the courtyard scene was very beautifully shot and lighted by Nirav Shah. "Yaarumilla" is a dream song shot on Siddharth and Vedhicka, interspersed with some montages of scenes between the lead artistes. The oil lamp-lit sequence, which was completely shot indoors, was very romantic and Vedhicka looked absolutely gorgeous in her saree. A.R Rahman's background score had plenty of styles and shades to it, and supplemented the screenplay very well. The background score added more tension wherever the screenplay necessitates, and elevates the mood of the scenes.
G.Vasanta Balan has scripted this story and its screenplay based on the autobiography, "Enadhu Naadaga Vaazhkai", written by Avvai Shanmughan, which was last printed in 1972. Also, the life and times of Sankaradas Swamigal, who was one of the founding fathers of Tamizh Theatre movement in the early 20th century, was an inspiration for this film. In fact, Nassar's character is an ode to Sankaradas Swamigal. The film's premise is a magical one and the scope is there for a rock-solid drama film, but 'Kaaviyathalaivan' becomes overtly melodramatic, in many places and has not much depth in its script. The film's basic core is the enmity between Prithviraj and Siddharth, where the former feel overshadowed by the latter, whereas the latter considers the former as his dear brother. The script leaves us with many unanswered questions and there's no organic development in the screenplay. Everything happens just for the sake of story-telling and no explanation is given. For instance, the film takes a turn from relationship issues into a patriotic theme but why such an event happens, is not properly explained. Siddharth's patriotism feel comes out of nowhere and we are expected to just accept things as it is. Writer Jeyamohan handles the dialogue writing, and though the ace writer's dialogues sufficed the needs of the script, the more colloquial-style doesn't really fit the era the film depicts. Was it a conscious decision by G.Vasanta Balan, is a question only he can answer. Films with such themes, should have very strong characterizations, but most of the artistes in 'Kaaviyathalaivan' merely scratched the surface of their characters, rather than delve into them. The film becomes predictable after a stage but nevertheless, it is a wonderful attempt from the makers, to deliver a good film for the Tamizh audience.
'Kaaviyathalaivan' - No where near being an epic, but a very good attempt indeed !
Ratings: 3/5 STARS
Labels: A.R Rahman, Anaika Soti, G.Vasanta Balan, Jeyamohan, Mansoor Ali Khan, Nassar, Nirav Shah, Ponvannan, Praveen KL, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Siddharth, Singampuli, T.Santhanam, Thambi Ramaiah, Vedhicka
NAAIGAL JAAKIRATHAI MOVIE REVIEW
After a lengthy hiatus of nearly 5 years, Sibiraj or rechristened as Sibi Sathyaraj is back to the silver screens. Joining venture with his 'Naanayam' director Shakti Soundar Rajan, Sibi has chosen a kid-friendly, cop-dog duo film, a genre forgotten by Hollywood themselves. Produced by Sathyaraj under Nathambal Film Factory banner, can 'Naaigal Jaakirathai' relaunch Sibi Sathyaraj's career in Tamizh cinema ?
Sibi Sathyaraj has given a decent enough performance and shows more confidence and maturity in his character handling. Though the character has more shades of comedy, he does try some serious bits here and there. There's plenty of room more for Sibi to improve and hope this film serve as a good relaunch platform for him. The star attraction of the film is of course Idoh, the lovely yet strong Belgian Shepherd ! Kudos to the entire team for pulling it off by making use a military-purpose trained god, in a proper manner. The action is not top-notch, but this is a good and novel attempt. Balaji Venugopal as the antagonist was an interesting choice, but his characterization lacks detailing and his acting falls flat in some portions. Arundhati, Manobala, Mayilsamy, Chenthu Mohan, Prinz Nithik and etc fill up the rest of the cast.
Ganesh's action choreography deserves mention, especially for the sequences designed for Idoh. The climax sequence has some heavy action for the dog and the director has made good use of the dog's capabilities. The warehouse shoot-out scene in the beginning phase of the film, is another well executed scene. JPK Prem's art direction sufficed the needs of the script. The set created in the forest reserve area and the set properties of Sibi Sathyaraj's house, was neatly created. Praveen K.L takes care of the editing and the ace editor ensured that the film is crisp in its length and straight to the point. The action sequences were well put together by Praveen K.L. Cinematography is handled by Nizar Shafi and his Ooty sequences are the highlights of his camera work, in this film. Not to forget, the color tone used for the rain shots, deserves mention as well.
Dharan Kumar's music is functional and songs do not really had any importance in the film. "En Nenjil" is the bonding song of Sibi Sathyaraj and Idoh, with plenty of funny, montage sequences shot for this song. "Oyadhe Oyadhe" is a situational song and is also shot on the pair, and has the hill stations of Ooty, as its backdrop. The theme song of the film, "Doggy Doggy" appears during the end credits and is shot like a music video, with Idoh being idolized like a movie star, though Sibi Sathyaraj's dance sequences were predominantly used. Dharan Kumar's background score was functional, and the highlight of his work would definitely be the score's recorded to project the bonding between the hero and his dog.
Shakti Soundar Rajan's script has a unique idea and some interesting elements but the film lacks fine writing and thorough detailing. The film's screenplay is not fully engaging and is missing fire it needed, though its pretty straightforward and doesn't waste much time. The emotional thread does help the screenplay to move forward, but the scenes are disjointed and is not cohesive. The dialogues are pretty ordinary and none of them leaves any sort of mark on the audience. The comedy portions are unnecessary, though such scenes are always forcibly inserted into the film, just for commercial purpose. In conclusion, the film is watchable in portion and but could have been much better, if not for the below par execution.
'Naaigal Jaakirathai' - Be more aware of dogs !
Labels: Balaji Venugopal, Dharan Kumar, Idoh, Manobala, Mayilsamy, Nizar Shafi, Praveen KL, Sathyaraj, Shakti Soundar Rajan, Sibi Sathyaraj
VANMHAM MOVIE REVIEW
Since the title is very much self-explanatory, 'Vanmham' is basically a story of revenge and vengeance. That is not something very novel or daringly new in Tamizh cinema, but presentation and narration can make a big difference to a mundane subject. Being a double hero subject, can Jai Krishnaa, an old timer of Tamizh cinema and an former assistant to 'Ulaga Nayagan' Kamal Haasan, come clean with his debut film ?
Doing rural subjects is not something new to Vijay Sethupathi but we get to see him perform out and out action sequences, and sporting the white dhothi for throughout the film. He is very natural and mouths the Nagercoil accent very well. The performer in him sneak peeks in a scene or two but otherwise, its just an average outing for him. Kreshna is sincere and has come up with an earnest performance. His voice modulation is better and he has shown some improvement in his acting capability. Sunaina, looks pretty and that's about it with her role. Madhu Sudhan Rao, Anjali Rao, Bose Venkat, Muthuraman, Sriranjani, Radhamani Ammal, Vinodhini, Subburaj and etc completes the rest of the cast. Sadly, no one stood out for their performances, due to poor characterization and detailing.
'Supreme' Sundar's action choreography works for most of the time. Its not raw, quite filmy but somehow it works out. There's nearly equal amount of action footing for both lead heroes but Vijay Sethupathi gets the more intense ones. Shiva Yadav takes care of the art direction and his work fits the bill. The detailing for the inner section of the rural homes were well propped. The market scene stands out, if its pertaining to his work. Veteran Suresh Urs' editing was functional but he could have definitely chopped down plenty of scenes to spice things up, or to at least speed up the proceedings. The film takes it's own sweet time in unravelling and the unnecessary melodramatic moments are just mere speed-bumpers ! Bala Bharani's cinematography is passable and he has captured the beauty of the southern areas of Tamil Nadu, particularly Nagercoil and Kanyakumari very well. The quarry area, surrounded by deep waters, were well captured, especially during the intense fight scene, just before the interval.
S.S Thaman's musical score is frankly, below average. "Paadatta Paadatta" is the obligatory introductory song for both, Vijay Sethupathi and Kreshna. The typical song-and-dance routine number featured both heroes, with the backing of group dancers, shaking their legs, in and around picturesque areas of Nagercoil. "Aetti Enge Pore" is a duet song, picturized on Kreshna and Sunaina. Some of the beautiful spots of Nagercoil was shot by Bala Bharani, especially of the small water dam and river areas. Kreshna and Sunaina shares good chemistry but the substance was missing from this combination, due to poor writing. "Maname Maname" is a pathos song, and has montage shots of all the main lead characters of Vijay Sethupathi, Kreshna and Sunaina and nearly all the other character artistes. S.S Thaman's background score is passable.
Being an associate of 'Ulaga Nayagan' Kamal Haasan, Jai Krishnaa should have realized the responsibility lying on his shoulders. Being an old-timer of the industry, his knowledge of presentation and contemporary film-making is, sorry to say, grossly missing ! The film has such an outdated theme of revenge but what's inexcusable is the bland, insipid and boring narration and dialogue writing of the film. The film's presentation is very archaic and is full of melodramatic moments, which would have worked out in the 80's and early 90's ! There's plenty of unnecessary action sequences thrown into the linear screenplay. There are plenty of loopholes and unanswered questions in the film's screenplay. Apart from the Nagercoil/Kanyakumari setting and the native accent used in the film, nothing else captures our attention. A certain sequence of the film is directly lifted from the 1998 Malayalam film, 'Kanmadam' starring Mohanlal and directed by A.K Lohithadas. The film is shockingly dreary and flavorless and sadly another liability to the film-based business people.
'Vanmham' - Vijay Sethupathi, you are suppose to be the poster-boy of new-age Tamizh cinema !
Labels: 'Supreme' Sundar, Bala Bharani, Bose Venkat, Jai Krishnaa, Kreshna, Madhu Sudhan Rao, Muthuraman, S.S Thaman, Sunaina, Suresh Urs, Vijay Sethupathi
THIRUDAN POLICE MOVIE REVIEW
'Attakathi' fame Dinesh, who had a decent outing with 'Cuckoo' has taken up a lead role with some commercial elements for the first time. 'Thirudan Police' is touted to be a melodramatic comedy fare, with some serious moments in between. Co-produced by S.P.B Charan, can debutante Caarthick Raju come up with a decent feel-good entertainer ?
Dinesh has chosen an apt script for him, where he can showcase his acting histrionics and at the same time, try his hand at comedy. He is convincing as the loafer turned constable, but at some places, he looks quite stiff and rigid. He must certainly improve his dancing capabilities and be more natural in the songs, as his uncomfortness romancing the heroine, is quite obvious. Iyshwarya Rajesh has nothing to offer here and only appears for some romance portions and song sequences. Muthuraman as the main antagonist was okay but its Rajendran and John Vijay who steals the thunder with their comedic acts. The pair complemented each other well and brought out the better comic timing from each other. The climax scene was hilarious ! Upcoming comedian Bala Saravanan is a riot with his dialogue deliveries and voice modulation. His natural demeanor works as a charm for him and sooner or later, he is sure to reach new heights ! Veteran Rajesh sparkles in his short role as a strict constable father and the others like Naren, Nitin Sathya, Krishnamoorthy, Renuka, Uma Iyer, Rajendranath, Vaiyapuri and etc make up the rest of the cast, with a very dignified special appearance from the legendary S.P Balasubrahmanyam.
Sruthi Kannath's costume designing sufficed the needs of the script and most of her work would have been on the heroine since the hero and the other main characters appear in police constable outfits, most of the time. Dhilip Subbarayan's action choreography was very realistic and apt and the highlight would be the jail lock-up fight scene involving Dinesh, Rajendran and John Vijay. The colony chase and the ensuing fight sequence, during the beginning of the movie. Art direction is by Jacki and the set properties for the police station set and also for the police housing colony was very realistic. The difference in class between a superior and a lower-level police officer was well showcased through the projection of their houses. Praveen K.L's editing was clean as usual and the fight sequences were very well edited. Siddharth's cinematography is functional and there's nothing really outstanding with his work, except for the fast movements through the housing colony, involving a fight sequence between Nitin Sathya and Dinesh.
Yuvan Shankar Raja's musical score is way below average for his standards and its pretty much run of the mill, stuff. "Moodu Panikkul" is a duet shot on Dinesh and Iyshwarya Rajesh in the highlands of the lush, green Kodaikanal. The panoramic views are the usual stuff, we are accustomed to. "Dheivame" is a situational bit song, which was shot on Rajesh and is also used during the end credits, and highlights the love of a father. "Ennodu Vaa" is a party dance number and featured Vijay Sethupathi and Aruldass in cameo appearances. Rajendran and John Vijay amuses with their lady get-ups for this song ! "Pesadhe" is the pick of the lot and melody number and has montages of Dinesh and Iyshwarya Rajesh, which was mostly shot in the housing colony area. Yuvan Shankar Raja's background score was just functional and nothing more than that.
Caarthick Raju's story is nothing new and the revenge element is as old as the hills. But the lighthearted treatment of the script is a bit refreshing and the melodramatic moments were kept bare minimum, apart from a fiery verbose speech by Naren. The song placements looked forced and disturbs the flow of the screenplay. Also, there plot development could be more organic and less jarring. The script highlights the pitiful and poor lives of the lower-level police constables and their daily miseries. Their lifestyle and struggle were well captured and how their higher officials make use of them, were explicitly shown. Caarthick Raju has infused the comedy element well into the script but at times, it makes us to ponder on how are we suppose to treat certain scenes, as either being serious or as light-hearted moments. The dialogues are a big plus to the film, especially for the comedy portions, and in particular for Bala Saravanan, who mouthed it perfectly. The end credits, which has photographs of all the technicians with their respective fathers, is an ode to fatherhood and was a nice touch. A film without lofty ambitions, 'Thirudan Police' is meets its expectations, though there are rooms for improvements.
'Thirudan Police' - Funny hide-and-seek !
Labels: Bala Saravanan, Caarthick Raju, Dhilip Subbarayan, Dinesh, Iyshwarya Rajesh, John Vijay, Muthuraman, Naren, Nitin Sathya, Praveen KL, Rajendran, Rajesh, S.P.B Charan, Vijay Sethupathi, Yuvan Shankar Raja
ORU OORULA RENDU RAJA MOVIE REVIEW
After the rather lukewarm 'Settai', R.Kannan, a former associate of Mani Ratnam is back with his own script and judging from the cast, he has given more importance to comedy, this time. 'Oru Oorula Rendu Raja' has the potential to be a safe bet, especially with D.Imman's music and a good cast, but can R.Kannan nail it after continuous flops ?
What's refreshing with this film is that the hero and heroine alone doesn't hog all the limelight. The script gives equal amount of space, time and importance to all three main leads, which are Vemal, Soori and Priya Anand. For Vemal and Soori, this script does not provide much challenge for their acting capabilities and both of them breezed through their roles. Vemal looks continually the same for most of his films and its Soori who actually shoulders the film, among the two "kings". His dialogue delivery and witty sense of humor, together with a good timing sense provides some laughter, though the comedy tracks are below average. Priya Anand is the refreshing element of the film, and she gets a meatier role than what conventional Tamizh heroines get to do. She's at her glam best thus far in the songs and looks sweet during the remaining. Nassar and Anupama Kumar were cast as the antagonists in which, the former was completely wasted and the latter was a total miscast. Thambi Ramaiah, Singamuthu, Narendhra Khatari, Bala Singh, E.Ramdas, Kalairani, Kamala Krishnasamy, Sasha and etc make up the rest of the cast, with a special appearance from Vishakha Singh, who did an important role.
Costume designing by Chaitanya Rao sufficed the needs of the script, especially when the bulk of the story is set in a single day. Particular importance was given to Priya Anand, who looked gorgeous in the songs. Action choreography by Silva, who also played a minor role in the film, was decent and was more situational, rather than purposeful. His choreography matched the physical attributes of Vemal and Soori. N.Subbu's art direction was neat and the set properties for all the live locations matched the scenario. The rundown godown featuring in the climax scene, was the best of his work. Suriya's editing was crisp and he made sure the film doesn't drag for more than 2 hours plus. Other than that, there's no gimmicks in the editing pattern of Suriya's. Cinematography by P.G Muthiah adds more color to the script and there's plenty of aerial shots, using the helicam, but the necessity of it is a different question. The picturization of songs were particularly good and pleasing to the eyes.
D.Imman adds strength to the film with his musical score. The songs are good and provides some entertainment to us. "Oru Oorula Rendu Raja" is the opening song shot on Vemal and Soori. It has the typical rural locations such as the village streets, paddy fields and etc and we get to see Soori doing some serious dancing for the first time ! "Odum Rayile" was picturized on Vemal and Priya Anand and was entirely shot in a railway station. It has a mixture of situational moments, as well as some dream sequence, but the entire song has the railway station and the train as the main setting. "Sundari Penne" is the best picturized song, which was shot on Priya Anand and Vishakha Singh. The rain soaked atmosphere reminds us of Mani Ratnam's heroine intro songs and Shreya Ghoshal's voice is just so wonderful to listen to ! "Kukkuru Kukkuru", a song sung by actress Lakshmi Menon was shot as a highway song and featured Iniya in a special appearance. The girl dances well and provides little bit of glamour effect of her own and is ably supported by Vemal and Soori. "Mazhakaathe" is a typical dream song shot on Vemal and Priya Anand, in picturesque hill stations. Priya Anand appears in glamorous costumes, probably for the first time in Tamizh films and she is definitely an eye-candy ! D.Imman's background score adds more depth to the emotional scenes and certainly lifts up many moments in the film.
R.Kannan handles the story, screenplay, dialogues and direction for 'Oru Oorula Rendu Raja' and he has taken up the issue of noise pollution and the malpractice acts of big manufacturers and how the laborers are victims of circumstances of such acts. The script has been given a road-movie like treatment with plenty of travelling and constant location changes. Though the film was promoted as a comedy film with some social messages in it, the humor quotient is low in substance and its pretty much lukewarm. And some of them are crude in taste, which is not so family & kid friendly ! Soori does make you smile, but those scenes are far and few in between, whereas the social messages were not smoothly infused into the screenplay. The post-climax scenes were jarring and looks forcefully thrust into the story, just to give the film an happy-ending. End of the day, this film is just a basic commercial fare and is primarily targeted at the B & C audiences.
'Oru Oorula Rendu Raja' - Two kings, one queen and the audience ends up as the Jokers !
Labels: Anupama Kumar, D.Imman, Iniya, Nassar, P.G Muthiah, Priya Anand, R.Kannan, Silva, Singamuthu, Soori, Thambi Ramaiah, Vemal, Vishakha Singh


Inserting the IP address of an authorized user into the transmission of an unauthorized user in order to gain illegal access to a computer system. Routers and other firewall implementations can be programmed to identify this discrepancy. See firewall.


Nutritional Sample Size calculated using whole-milk yogurt; for less fat and saturated fat, use low-fat yogurt.
Roast the eggplant and tomatoes: Season the eggplant slices generously with salt and put them in a colander in the sink to drain for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.
Tap the colander against the side of the sink to remove excess moisture and salt. Transfer the eggplant to a large mixing bowl, toss with 4 Tbs. of the olive oil, and let sit for five minutes to absorb the oil. Lay the eggplant slices in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. In a pie plate, combine the cherry tomatoes with the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, the rosemary, and 3/4 tsp. salt.
Put the eggplant on the upper oven rack and the tomatoes on the lower rack. Roast the eggplant until light golden and beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. Flip and roast until completely soft and light golden, about 15 minutes more. Roast the tomatoes until many have collapsed, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer the eggplant and tomatoes to separate containers and let cool.
Make the cucumbers: Combine the shallot, vinegar, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes to soften the shallot. Add the cucumber(s) and mix well. Season to taste with lemon juice and more salt.
For each serving, pack half of each vegetable separately in a segmented lunch box or in its own container (or mix them together). Put half of the yogurt and pine nuts in separate containers (refrigerate the yogurt), and bring along a little jar of olive oil and some pita or crusty bread.
Spread the yogurt in the bottom of your bowl and top it with the eggplant, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Sprinkle with the nuts, drizzle with olive oil, and eat with the pita or bread.
Roasted summer squash or bell peppers are good substitutes for the eggplant or tomatoes. In autumn, try roasted butternut squash. In the winter, sautéed kale or collard greens with garlic work well. A small salad of fresh herbs like parsley, chervil, and mint can replace the tangy cucumbers.
This is an excellent recipe with smoky, complex flavors. Wow! I'll be making this again. Thanks, Tamar!
This is so easy and delicious--make it! I serve with chicken marinated in Pom molasses, garlic, olive oil and spices. Sometimes add tabbouleh or pita on the side.
This was delicious! I served it as a side dish with BBQ chicken. Left out the yogurt and added feta cheese instead. Our whole family loved it!


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text:
De Meistaradeildin 2013 (vanwege sponsorbelangen ook Effodeildin) is het 71ste seizoen van het Faeröerse nationale voetbalkampioenschap, het tweede onder de naam Effodeildin naar energiebedrijf Effo. EB/Streymur treedt dit seizoen aan als regerend landskampioen. Alle clubs bekampen elkaar op één seizoen drie keer. De competitie liep van maart tot en met oktober.

Deelnemers

Tussenstand

Laatst bijgewerkt: 6 oktober 2013

Voetbal op de Faeröer
Competitievoetbal 2013

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
If You Thought Greece's Debt Crisis Was Something, Imagine 'Italeave'
Tom Luongo ( Original )
Greece's debt crisis got a lot of attention, but it's incredibly important to note that from a system standpoint, Greece is not too big to fail. Greece has a GDP that is smaller than that of Dallas-Ft. Worth.
Italy's, on the other hand, is as large as the Western half of the United States excepting California. Every state, north to south, west of Texas. From Montana down to New Mexico. Amazon-including Washington, Las-Vegas including Nevada…all of it.
And it's vastly more interconnected, economy-wise, than relatively isolated Greece. It's economy is far any away the shakiest and most bad-debt-plagued of any EU citizen. On the heels of election results yield a real appetite for secessionist rhetoric, Italy eventually leaving the EU would be unfathomably chaotic.
Europe is headed for a breakup. But, after a year of watching the EU establishment work the polls just enough to maintain the status quo in the Netherlands, France and Germany I wasn't expecting much from yesterday's Italian elections.
But with turnout over 73% we got just that. Voters were clearly motivated to change the course Italy is on. Now, we knew that Silvio Berlusconi's center-right coalition would do well alongside upstart Five Star Movement.
So, the only path forward in Italy's best interest is Salvini and Di Maio coming together and selling a showdown with Germany over the euro and debt relief. Once they move forward with reforms both Brussels and the IMF will not back the true face of the EU will be shown and I expect an already angry Italy will shift very quickly towards Italeave just like what happened in the U.K. with Brexit.
ORIGINAL SOURCE: Italy's Results are Truly Forza Italia! at Tom Luongo on 3/5/18

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


"And the people are the best!" We regularly hear when researching a new destination.
Often, it's true. We've had the experience of visiting a number of countries in a row where we find ourselves feeling that the locals get nicer and nicer with each new place. It's most likely due to our novel status of animated-tall-white-American-native-English-speakers, but we've been met with grins and offers of help and requests for pictures almost everywhere we go. I can't blame rural Vietnamese, Nepali, or Malaysians for feeling this way- we must look like walking cartoon characters wearing backpacks and pointing things out while smiling to one another. We've been told we're the first Westerners locals in a particular area have seen many times. They seem as excited to meet us as we are to meet them!
Not only have we been blessed with good experiences from natives, we have had the incredible fortune of making dear friends with other expats on our travels. We've met people in Hong Kong, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal, and Malaysia who invited us to dinner, babysat our child, and invited us on playdates. We've even traveled through three different countries with some of these new friends, which has been a bucket list goal of mine since adulthood.
It feels easier to make friends while traveling abroad than it was in suburban America (not to discount the incredibly meaningful friends we left behind in North Carolina. We love and miss you all dearly!) Expats around the world seem to congregate for a simple reason: you're in an unfamiliar place and it's comforting to spend time with people you share cultural commonalities with. We've made friends with other expats because we all speak English, are from North America or other westernized countries, are worldschooling children the same age, and/or have made the choice to leave our home countries. Those similarities bind us.
The main way we meet other people is through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Our church organization remains the same in every individual ward (congregation) around the world, and it's been so comforting to be in a brand-new environment and at least have the familiarity of the same church program on Sunday. We try to find English services wherever possible, and the English speakers attending that ward have almost always recognized us as the timid newcomers we are and welcomed us warmly. They give us invaluable insider tips on where to go and what to do in the area as well as emotional support. I have often wondered how other traveling families we've met survive the constant change and stress of travel without the support we feel from our extended religious community!
While we are careful not to spend all our free time with similar people (experiencing new cultures is why we chose to travel, after all), these friendships have come to mean a great deal to us. It's been such a blessing to grow closer as a family through these new experiences, but it's nice to differentiate our day by being around more than just the two other people in our family. Ben and I have appreciated having adult conversations and Whit benefits from playing with other children. Traveling makes you more vulnerable, and having someone take you by the arm and offer to be your support means so much.
Here's the point of my ramblings: We have not had the same welcoming experience in New Zealand. And it's been hard.
I hope others have had great experiences of helpful, kind New Zealanders on their travels here, but it just hasn't been the case for us (with a few exceptions of very nice people, of course.) I'm sure part of the difference is that we don't stand out here until people hear our American accents. Among so many English speakers from Westernized countries (New Zealand feels like a melting pot of people from various English Commonwealths), locals don't have a void to fill with familiar people.
I also wonder (and the same thought has been shared by other travelers) if we aren't actually looked down upon as being American travelers, though. We felt especially judged when taking our RV through the South Island, as though locals have developed a dislike of backpacking tourists overcrowding their natural wonders, littering public parks, and disturbing ecosystems by bathing in public lakes. I wouldn't blame them for resenting the cause and effect of New Zealand's recent surge in popularity, but not all travelers are the same!
People have been friendlier in the North Island, especially since we're now in a rental car, explain that we've moved in for two months, and are paying to send our son to a free public school. They appreciate our interest in the country and our commitment to one area, in particular, but their friendliness rarely goes beyond a cordial level. We aren't being asked to dinner, but at least we aren't made to feel like we're flat-out invading someone's life.
The one exception is a man Ben knew 15 years ago. He and Ben were teaching companions while serving as Church missionaries in Seoul, Korea. Ben has fond memories of him and has mentioned his old New Zealand companion a few times as we planned our trip here. He gave Ben some great impressions of the country, and we've been hoping to cross paths with him since we arrived. It took a few weeks to get in contact, but he's still in the country and even living nearby! He barely remembered Ben, but still took the time to drive an hour to our home to meet with us this past week. We spent the afternoon talking before heading to one of his favorite beaches where he taught Ben how to surf on a paddleboard. He left his best contact info, invited us to his house, and even compiled a huge list of places we should see while we're in town (which he said his family would love to visit together). We stopped by his house to meet his wife and daughters a few days later, and they, like him, were incredibly welcoming. The four adults laughed at similarities and old stories and Whit literally ran through the house laughing with the other kids.
We all had more pep in our steps this past week because our daily routine of School, Work, Outing, Dinner had been shaken up a tiny bit. We were more excited about the upcoming weekend because our plans included seeing people, not just going places. We were kinder to each other because there were new people to focus some energy on.
I've been surprised at how we are received in New Zealand, and so grateful for the contrast of a good person and his family who has taken on the responsibility of befriending the new people. Thank you!
Oh! I almost forgot to update on last week!
I'm happy to report that my work stresses were just a temporary slide. I did some deep digging into my website analytics and noticed some viewership trends that show I am actually doing a decent job. Not a spectacular job, but good enough to boost my confidence! Yes!
Ben, likewise, has spent more time focusing on the details pulling down our sales lately and has some insights on how to change things. It's tedious work he hates doing, but spending time on dull work can pay off in the long run. Let's hope, at least.
And the idea of being positive because positive behavior is contagious? Well, I think that's working, too. It's an ongoing experiment.


When a patient who has been dealing with arthritis for years is finding no relief with physical therapy, injections, bracing or other methods of treatment, before an Orthotech makes a big decision about other care options they should to do extensive research on a variety of different procedures including: ankle arthroscopies, ankle replacements and ankle fusions. While each of these procedures has their pros and cons, some may not be the right choice for certain patients. This article will dive into the pros and cons of these procedures and the controversy surrounding the total ankle replacement.
When one is dealing with the pain and discomfort of arthritis in the ankle joint they may jump to a quick decision. There are many different types of arthritis including: osteoarthritis, also known as wear and tear arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis which is an autoimmune disease, and post traumatic arthritis which occurs after the foot or ankle is injured. Arthritic changes in the ankle joint can cause severe pain and stiffness and can be debilitating to ones lifestyle.
The word fusion sounds very limiting to most patients, whereas replacement seems like a much better idea. Many patients will think, "if I get a fusion I will be limited in what I can do, and the fusion may impact my daily activities. However, if I get a replacement I will be able to ambulate much better and move on with my life with my new ankle." They hear about how well their friends have done with their new knees or hips and they decide to inquire about a total ankle replacement with their orthopedic surgeon.
The first surgical option for some patients may be an ankle arthroscopy, which is the least invasive surgery. An ankle arthroscopy allows the surgeon to clean out the joint through small incisions using cameras and monitors. An arthroscope is used in this procedure to transmit images to a monitor and allow the surgeon to visualize the joint. Although most arthroscopies are performed to remove loose bodies or fix damaged soft tissue such as torn or stretched ligaments that can cause ankle instability, this procedure can be helpful in performing ankle fusions. Patients recover much quicker from arthroscopies if their ankle does not require a fusion and can return to daily activities such as driving and sports sooner.
If an ankle scope is not sufficient due to the severity of arthritis in a patient's joint the next surgical option could be an ankle fusion or "arthrodesis". The ankle fusion can be done arthroscopically or open. In most cases the fusion is successful due to the fact the ankle is unable to move up and down after the procedure. As with most surgeries, complications after an ankle fusion can include infection, pain, or wound healing problems. A patient will be advised to quit using tobacco products at least three to four months before surgery as this can cause complications such as wound healing issues and malunion. In most cases, the patient will be placed into fiberglass or plaster cast for 3 months and will be non-weight bearing for approximately 6 weeks. The patient will be taken out of the cast at the 3 month anniversary and will be able to return to customary footwear. They may walk with a limp but will have much less pain than they did before surgery. In some cases patients can develop arthritis in other areas of the foot due to the extra pressure put on these areas after a fusion and they may need another operation to fuse these areas, limiting motion in the foot.
The total ankle replacement has been a controversial topic in the field of orthopedics for years. Many orthopedic surgeons will shy away from the idea of proceeding with an ankle replacement. The first attempt at an ankle replacement was performed in the 1970's by two orthopedic surgeons, Lord and Marrote who used a long stemmed tibial component and a polyethylene talar component replacing the body of the talus. They attempted this procedure on 25 patients, with 12 of the attempts failing and only having success with 7 of the patients. The total ankle replacement should be avoided if the patient is diabetic, a smoker, has avascular necrosis of the talus, neuropathy, or a history of infection. As mentioned earlier, if possible the best way to deal with ankle pain is conservative treatment such as physical therapy, bracing options (off the shelf or custom) like the AFO brace, which come in a variety of different styles, and/or steroid injections. As technology evolves the ankle replacement may be an option for more patients in the future, and more surgeons may take on the challenge. Any one of these procedures may fail and go on to be a non-union or malunion causing the patient continued pain but for many patients this is their last option.
Cam Goslin is an orthopedic technologist from New Hampshire. He attended the New Hampshire Technical Institute graduating with a certificate in orthopedic technology in 2013. Cam became a certified orthopedic technologist after graduating the program. He is an active member of the New England Society of Orthopaedic Technologists and the National Association of Orthopaedic Technologists. He enjoys spending his free time with his girlfriend and son.


text:
Limonium brunneri is a species of flowering plants of the family Plumbaginaceae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde. It is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. The species was named by Carl Ernst Otto Kunze in 1891. Its local name is carqueja, a name that may also refer to the related species Limonium braunii and Limonium jovibarba.

Distribution and ecology
Limonium brunneri grows in sandy and clayey areas, and is found on the arid coasts of the islands of Sal and São Vicente and the islets of Branco and Raso.

References

Further reading
Wolfram Lobin, Teresa Leyens, Norbert Kilian, Matthias Erben, Klaus Lewejohann, The Genus Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) on the Cape Verde Islands, W Africa, Willdenowia, Berli), vol. 25, no. 1, 20 June 1994, p. 197-214

brunneri
Flora of São Vicente, Cape Verde
Flora of Sal, Cape Verde
Endemic flora of Cape Verde
Taxa named by Philip Barker-Webb
Taxa named by Pierre Edmond Boissier
Taxa named by Otto Kuntze


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POSSIBLE MERGER: Live Nation Inc. and Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. were said to be in merger talks. The combined company would be called Live Nation Ticketmaster, according to one report, and would be able to offer management of everything from recorded music to ticket sales and tour sponsorships. The deal, which likely would face antitrust scrutiny, would create a music industry powerhouse with a combined market value of more than $700 million. Live Nation is based in Beverly Hills. Ticketmaster is based in West Hollywood.
NEW PARTNERSHIP: Ryland Group Inc. and Oaktree Capital Management LLC have formed a limited liability company to acquire and develop distressed residential real estate projects. The new company will take advantage of the Calabasas-based homebuilder's real estate development expertise, but has struggled since the end of the boom. An L.A.-based hedge fund, Oaktree Capital has more than $55 billion in assets under management and is known for investing in distressed sectors.
JOB CUTS: THQ Inc. said it plans to cut nearly one-quarter of its work force in response to a slowing market for its video games. The Agoura Hills company said it would reduce staff by 600 people by fiscal 2010 and trim spending by $220 million. THQ also reported a third quarter net loss of nearly $192 million, compared with net income of $15.5 million a year ago. Revenue fell 30 percent to $357 million.
STRIKE AVERTED: Southern California Gas Co. reached a tentative contract accord with union negotiators, averting a strike by most of its 7,600 employees. SoCal Gas, the nation's largest natural gas distribution utility, and Local 132 of the Utility Workers Union of America agreed on a new three-year labor contract, which still must be approved by the membership later this month.
MERGER TROUBLES: Image Entertainment Inc. said Nyx Acquisitions Inc. was in breach of a merger agreement between the two companies because it failed to make a required $1.3 million payment by Jan. 20. The Chatsworth-based home entertainment distributor said it was considering options, including terminating the deal, because San Francisco-based Nyx didn't make the deadline payment. Image agreed to sell itself to Nyx for $60.2 million in cash, plus assumption of debt, in November.
CHECKING IN: Hilton Hotels Corp., which last month announced it was leaving Beverly Hills, said it had chosen Fairfax County, Va., as its new corporate home. Hilton, which wants to lower its cost of doing business, said the state and county offered incentives valued at $4.6 million in cash grants and other incentives. Hilton said it plans to spend at least $17 million in the move and create more than 300 full-time jobs in Fairfax County within the next 36 months.
The Week's Big Movers
Ticketmaster Earnings Plunge
Live Nation's Loss Widens


One of the simple ways I gave my daughter's Fairy Garden bedroom dresser a facelift was by hand painting some new hardware for the drawers and doors. Hand painted pulls add a personalized touch to furniture and can make an inexpensive piece look more custom. I will show you just how easy it is to do!
The drawer pulls on her new-to-us dresser were plastic and pretty ugly, so I was excited to be able to change them out for something that would fit in with her garden themed room a little better. I had purchased a ziploc baggie full of porcelain knobs at Goodwill for just a few dollars hoping to be able to use them for a project just like this. I busted out my paint brushes and craft paint and got to work.
When I painted the knobs I was still mid-dresser makeover and was planning on using this pretty wrapping paper from Target's Dollar Spot for the back of the dresser. I created the designs on the knobs using it as inspiration. Even though I didn't end up using this paper on the finished dresser, the knobs still fit in perfectly with the room!
I pierced the screws from the knobs through a small piece of foam and screwed the knobs back down. This helped to keep them sturdy and upright while I painted and while the knobs dried.
Each knob has a different design. I was able to make some dip dot flowers using the same technique that I did for my Spring dip dot flower votive. I used my smallest paintbrushes and layered in tiny details like leaves and outlined petals.
It's a small detail on the dresser, but I think it is the smallest details that count! Have you checked out the whole bedroom transformation? You can find her Fairy Garden Big Girl Bedroom here.
I do not see the type of paint used. I believe that acrylic paints will not be durable on porcelain under such frequent use as a piece of childs furniture. What did you use?
I did use acrylic paint, and five years later they are still holding up wonderfully!