Whenever I get a new vehicle I give two coconuts to Pazhavangadi Ganapathi and whenever a Mohanlal movie releases I give Rs. 40 to Thampanoor SreeKumar-SreeVisakh. It is a ritual.
Now let me do the unthinkable and call Rock n’ Roll a good one. The movie does the bare minimum – entertain, while many new releases by non-superstar banners like “Ayur Rekha” tests our patience. I watched the movie at Sreekumar, with absolute zero expectations. Even the fans association guys kept “we’ll maintain it’s a good movie in public”. Despite this, I liked the movie; it is two and a half hours of cheap entertainment. It might not get a state award, and I guess it’s not running.
Rock n’ Roll is the classic Mohanlal-Rangith movie, a very high star density on screen, hero doesn’t need a days job, lots of friends with money and power, Johnny Walker black label (plenty of it) and Mohanlal has a nice time with friends throughout the movie. In more ways than one, Mohanlal is our cultural pontiff, he potrays our culture, his movies depict the story of our times which is the sheer lack of a story. We all want to be Mohanlal in the movie, with money, fame, connections, talent, women and wine. (And finally have the good girl too). Mohanlal is our King of Good Times. (like Rajnikanth on the other side of the mountains). Rock n’ Roll is another one of those parties. It Rocks!
Storyline: *Better don’t read* Chandramouli (love that name! Aldous Huxley was another good choice) is a drummer par excellence, a globe trotter, a high priest of free sex and an ultra famous person. Like Siddique’s character notes, that when in India, Chandramouli hangs out with Zakir Hussein or Shankar Mahadevan or some other SOBs whose name I don’t remember (but they invoke mortal fear like the first two).
Chandramouli and his pack of musician friends played by Mukesh(with two wives), Siddique, Lal(big time divorcee), Harishree and Rahman(another womanizer) downs three full bottles of Black label and have a nice time. A girl\singer comes along, Chandramouli leaves his bohemian ideals, falls in love and yeah! *surprise fckin surprise* Gets the girl. End of story.
Good:
1. Add Chandrolsavam to Hallo, add a few more jokes and a few tit-bits here and there, drain out any storyline that would have crept in – You Rock n’ Roll. And the movie entertains full two and a half hours.
2. Mohanlal plays Mohanlal, rather than playing a disaster like AliBhai. His liberal values and monologues, classic dialogues, jokes. Some of us can watch Mohanlal for hours, when he is at his easy going self, like in the first half of Chandrolsavam. Rock n Roll provides Mohanlal VSOP.
3. Music is good. Jagathy and Suraj rocks the screen every bit they are there.
4. There are no villains, no tension in the story line and plenty of liquor. Enjoy maadi.
5. Rangith does not have the burden of a storyline, so the script creates an ambiance of a let go lifestyle. Does it pretty well. The dialogues are very metro, very us and very Trivandrum.
Bad:
1. Bad distribution compared to AliBhai, even the publicity campaign was lack luster. Just 45-50 centers compared to 85 for AliBhai.
2. No story, emotion, logic, no nothing. Malayalam industry’s most promising script writer goes dud.
3. The last two Marikkar releases (Nasrani and Rock n Roll) together consume some 50 liters of alcohol. Every shot has a bottle, its getting a little bore. Everybody drinks; there is nothing to show off.
Verdict: 2 stars out of 5. Good watch.
Should be a hit by the time “Calcutta News” and “Raudram” releases. Feel bad about it? The Malayali audience which created a flop out of “Vaastavam” has nothing to feel bad about. You get what you deserve. And for 40 bucks you get more than you deserve. The movie is wholesome cheap thrill; I can watch it again some five times. Go watch it! [you need a better review? checkout Velu ]
P.S : Wanted to watch Adoor’s “Naalu Pennungal”, but the problem is the master’s movie runs in Kairali-Sri. If by mistake you get into the wrong theater, you are gone. Guess what Vinayan’s new ‘another different’ movie is running there ‘Hareendran Enna Nishkalangan?’ – mortal danger man! mortal danger. Only the lord knows how I escaped from ‘Black Cat’ – his last ‘different movie’. Adoor will have to wait till IFFK week.
P.P.S: Delegate passes for 12th International Film Festival of Kerala are still available at Kalabhavan. Don’t miss it!
Koothara Review odu Koppee…………..
you call it a good one but you dont have anything good to say about it. Nasrani was far better!
[…] tvmtalkies says: Good: 1. Add Chandrolsavam to Hallo, add a few more jokes and a few tit-bits here and there, drain out any storyline that would have crept in – You Rock n’ Roll. And the movie entertains full two and a half hours. […]
The story is good… but bofore the interval..the movie bores..
Poor Marketing…..by Marikar reklease in Ernakulam Theatre