GREG KLYMKIW'S EEGA MANIFESTO (and review)
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| SAMANTHA PRABHU - EEGA BABE |
Starring: Sudeep, Samantha Prabhu, Nani
Review By Greg Klymkiw
EEGA is such a fresh, original and wonderful movie entertainment, I issue the following WARNINGS to all who know NOTHING about it. BEFORE SEEING EEGA:
1. DO NOT READ ANYTHING ABOUT IT EXCEPT THIS REVIEW - AVOID ARTICLES, REVIEWS, THE PROGRAM NOTES AT ANY FILM FESTIVAL, THE MAGNIFICENT WEBSITE, THE IMDB, ANYTHING ON THE INTERNET (INCLUDING FACEBOOK, TWITTER, GOOGLE +, PINTEREST ETC. NOTHING! READ THEM ONLY AFTER YOU SEE EEGA!
2. DO NOT LOOK AT ANY STILLS (SAVE FOR THOSE INCLUDED HERE) OR POSTERS OR ADS OR BILLBOARDS OR ANYTHING FROM EEGA. AGAIN, YOU CAN AND WILL WANT TO DO SO AFTER YOU SEE EEGA!
3. DO NOT WATCH ANY TRAILERS FOR EEGA. IF A TRAILER PLAYS ANYWHERE, CLOSE YOUR EYES, PLUG YOUR EARS AND SING "WE WILL ROCK YOU" AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS!
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| NANI & SAMANTHA PRABHU EEGA HUNK and EEGA BABE |
5. IF YOU'RE AT A FILM FESTIVAL SCREENING (SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL 2013) AND, GOD FORBID, ONE OF THE FINE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FESTIVAL (SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE DELIGHTFUL ADAM LOPEZ OR A TADFF COLLEAGUE) DARES SAY TOO MUCH ABOUT EEGA DURING AN ON-STAGE ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO ITS UNVEILING, SIMPLY PLUG YOUR EARS AND SING "WE WILL ROCK YOU" AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS!
6. IF YOU ARE AT A FILM FESTIVAL SCREENING ON THE DAY AND VERY SHOW EEGA PLAYS (SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL 2013) AND, GOD FORBID, ONE OF THE FINE REPS FROM THE FESTIVAL (SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE DELIGHTFUL ADAM LOPEZ OR A TADFF COLLEAGUE) DARES SAY TOO MUCH ABOUT EEGA DURING AN ON-STAGE INTRODUCTION TO THE FILM, SIMPLY PLUG YOUR EARS AND SING "WE WILL ROCK YOU" AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS!
7. IF YOU UNDERSTAND TELUGU, IGNORE THE TITLE.
I saw EEGA knowing nothing save for its inclusion in the 2013 edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival (TADFF). This afforded me the luxury of experiencing one of the most joyful, endearing, romantic, hilarious and utterly heart-rending tales of vengeance I have ever experienced in my life. That the film is the ONLY joyful, endearing, romantic, hilarious and utterly heart-rending tale of vengeance I have ever experienced in my life is but the extra infusions of jaggery and ghee in my Poornalu.
The stunningly gorgeous Samantha Prabhu plays the sweet, innocent, intelligent, good-humoured and committed Bindu. By day, she devotes herself to bringing educational supplies to the poor of India and by night, she is a highly skilled micro artist. She has been romantically pursued by the charming, goofy Nani for two whole years and she is on the cusp of finally accepting his professions of love. Sudeep is a powerful corporate chieftain who holds investors by the short and curly hairs with his brilliance and prowess at commercial real estate development. He is also a handsome, sexy Cocksman of the highest order and ALWAYS gets whatever woman he wants. Always.
This trio comprises a love triangle that is about to turn deadly. When the unthinkable happens - all seems lost, but good Karma rears its happy head and soon we become embroiled in one of the most relentless tales of vengeance imaginable. Throughout the proceedings there is much danger, but there is also considerable tears, romance and hilarity.
Oh yes, and there are grand musical numbers.
The number of vengeance-filled activities in this film seems almost incalculable. We experience revenge like it's never been experienced before and a good deal of the film's running time is devoted to every conceivable form of payback extraction. The final third of the film is also unbearably suspenseful - so much so that I was desperate to relieve myself of certain viscous fluids, but clenched myself with a fury I did not realize was even possible. I could not take my eyes off the screen for one moment.
There isn't a single element of the film that isn't absolutely first-rate. The trio of star performances are pitched to utter perfection, Rajamouli's direction is so astoundingly buoyant and skilful he gives Steven Spielberg a good run for his money, the screenplay co-written by Rajamouli and Janardhan Maharshi (with expert script doctoring by S.S. Kanchi) delivers one delicious narrative surprise after another, K.K. Senthil Kumar's exuberant cinematography is always impeccably lit and composed, Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao's cutting delivers superbly on all the visual story beats with aplomb, the special effects by Makuta VFX are always thrilling, imaginative and imbued with a lovely days-gone-by quality rendered in cutting edge style and the musical score by the great M.M.Keeravani renders one magnificent tune after another.
EEGA is a class act all the way. You'll definitely leave the cinema agreeing with me that you'll have NEVER quite seen anything like it - the picture soars with supreme entertainment value and for a movie overflowing with vengeance, I'm happy to report that it's also A-1 entertainment for everyone - yes, the WHOLE FAMILY!!!
Telugu is the second largest language following Hindi in India and its film industry, oft-referred to as Tollywood, might technically be considered second to Bollywood, but if EEGA is any indication of the sheer joy, invention and entertainment value employed in this region of India, I suspect we'll be looking - not to HOLLYWOOD or BOLLYWOOD for tremendous bigger-than-life entertainment, but Tollywood. And leading the charge is a Telugu-speaking director who has all the potential to make Steven Spielberg so much dust in the wind.
Oh, even if you have an inkling what EEGA is about, you'll still love it.
"EEGA" is playing at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2013. Visit the TADFF website for more details HERE.
