Anjathey (Do not fear)
Cinematography: Mahesh Muthuswamy
Written and directed by Mysshkin
Release: 2008
Language: Tamil, India
Scene 1:
Blue sky.
The few characters – shots from the base, sky in the background, taken as if the camera is on the ground focusing them.
Still.
Dialogues
Blue Sky
One person moving up and down, he is doing pushups.
- Now viewer is able to identify the situation.
- It is an outdoor place for exercise.
The very first scene gave me the feeling that the movie is not going to be an usual one.
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Sometimes we are blessed to see movies like Anjaathey, a great absorbing and engaging entertainer on Tamil screen. Mysshkin’s Anjathey is a marvelous entertainer with class.The astonishing and very fresh angle of shots is used all the way throughout the movie. Myshkin's way of presentation of the story by imaginary shots stunning and matchless. His use of lengthy shots helps to make the scenes very real and closer. There are a lot of low angle shots where the incident is shown and make us understand by showing only the legs of the characters. Even there is a long shot showing legs of few characters entering and leaving a house, still the viewers will be able to feel everything with clarity.
Most of the time Myshkin had shown the landscape before something is happening there. The locations, the colony they live is very real and believable.
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There are many scenes where the director makes us to imagine the scene or the feel of the scene, which is awesome. There is a scene where the camera angle is fixed at the waist height and the hands of two characters are shown. The director makes us to feel the emotion of the characters at certain scenes by showing their hands alone. Myshkin had presented many scenes in such a powerful way that I'm not able to describe them in words.
Myshkin is definitely a director who had seen world classics very closer and it won’t be so long before this man gives a classic which will be capable of entering in the list of world classics. His passion for good and different cinema is evident from frame one.
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Plot: Story of Anjathey revolves around two friends, Krupakaran (Ajmal) and Sathya (Narain). Kripa is a very good-named, top-of-the-class youth waiting for police selection exam, while his close friend Sathya is a directionless street rowdy who is always busy with drinks. Sathya, annoyed by the regular embarrassment, decides to participate for police selection. The exam result makes extreme changes in their lives; and the story is about how they deal with the situation. There is a parallel story of coldblooded scandalous gang led by Velu (Pandiyarajan) and Daya (Prasanna). The enchanting track of the police investigation and the emotional story of the two friends is combined together to bring one of the best cop movies in recent times.
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Sunder C. Babu's music is good, two gana songs are foot tapping. But it is his BGM which is absolutely beautiful. The bgm is hunting and it is like as if there is no bgm. The bgm moves along with the scene. Spectacular. The year didn’t have a national award for background score, it would had been with this man.
My favorite is the title song, ‘Achcham thavir..’
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Performance: Narain is realistic in both the characters. His main strength is his performance in emotional scenes and his stunt scenes are very good. His performance in the pre-climax scene when he identifies a voice in the police commissioner’s house is excellent. Performance wise Narian is the screen stealer.
Ajmal as Krupa is excellent, particularly because of the complete makeover of the character and his body language in the first half and second half. The anger and the irritation of the character are shown brilliantly.
Prasanna is good in his new avatar and his style is notable. His smile with a negative shade is splendid.
Pandiyarajan is another surprise, he is in an out and out different character and the presentation as the short, cruel baddie is excellent.
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Like his other movies, Mysshkin had made use of side actors well and possibly no other director would have concentrated and gave importance to such small small characters and in particularly in a large canvas movie like this. Awesome.
Ramesh as Kuruvi is an unforgettable character. His performance in the climax scene is just there to touch your heart gently.
Vijayalakshmi looks very good in traditional dress as a simple role and her portrayal of a girl struggling between her brother and lover is done well.
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Anjathey is neither the usual police stories like that of Pokkiri or Samy nor the new age police stories like Vettayadu Vilayadu or Kakka Kakka, this is completely different. The presentation of the movie just takes the it far away from other Indian cop stories, near to the world classics.
How can I define the beauty of the lengthy, top angle and sometimes low angle climax scene?! Amazing, the long waited (3+ hours) climax is worth. Fantastic style of presentation.
The film is far greater than any other cop movies from India, story wise and technically. The theme of the movie would have gone wrong with other directors.
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Minus: Hard to find, but still to say one the investigation part is not very intelligent but is very good. 3.10 hours long. (Might be very long who watch this movie with the help of sub titles).
Highlights:
• Cinematography
• Casting
• Background Music
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Few shots/scenes with Myshkin’s signature
• A character whose presence is shown right from the 15th minute to the very end 180th minute and still there is not a single scene where his face is directly shown to camera. His face is not shown in any single frame throughout the movie, can you believe it.• The father’s emotions of the second victimized girl is heartbreaking.
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Anjathey, here comes the right mix of commercial elements and classic way of narration blend together to give a completely different experience than any other cop movie from India.
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Note: Anjathey is not a Saturday night entertainer not a movie to go with your lover to chat sitting inside the cinemas. This movie will grab your attention, the lover might get engaged with the story.
Myshkin is a director whose theme and visuals are very different, odd and unbelievable like classic Chan-Wook Park. Myshkin has made 'Anjathey' in the midst of chic and stuff and the film is very elegant and powerful. Overall, ‘Anjathey’ is an outstanding movie by the most promising young director Myshkin from India.
A grand visual gratification, a master piece from Myshkin
Rating: 4.5 / 5
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