Guru

The Mani Sir jalras are at it again. The internet is full of them. Many of them had sung praises even before watching the film! I can safely and categorically state that Guru is without doubt Mani's least impressive work till date. Maybe if you watch it without any expectation or if you are a hardcore Mani fan it might work for you. ARR's songs disappoint and what the hell was happening in the name of rerecording? Come on, their combination has always been magic.
What the hell was Mani thinking when he lets us spot a Thamizh style temple (probably shot around Madurai) and trying to pass the location as Gujarat? Chalakudi falls is too easy and its a crime to pass that off as being any other location. The movie never gets started. There is absolutely no depth in the first half and the story just meanders along. It doesn't grip you.
Mani plays right into the hands of his detractors when he touches upon issues only to romanticize it and indulge in some feel good cinematic moments. The climax is straight out of a Shankar film and the stand Mani takes in the film and the way he uses the character to push it is not convincing. Its almost as if it is Mani's version of 'India Shining'. Some questions are unanswered - like why does Mithun keep behaving the way he does? His actions and stance are not consistent. Abhishek is the saving grace of the film and comes up with a decent performance. Ash - no explanations required. Vivek said it all when he exclaimed "nalla kaatneenga da reaction". Can someone please eliminate that thing called Vidhya Balan? Liquidate, exterminate, whatever. Thankfully she dies in the film. BNB gets it spot on when he says "Aishwarya Rai, and Vidya Balan have trouble losing the smile on their faces even when it's not required". LRMB-liye ava tholla thaanga mudiyale. Narayana!!
Mani, like Aandavar has this irritating habit of butchering the best song in every film . The only song which i liked (first time i listened to the songs. Maybe i need more hearings) was a melody by Hariharan - wonderfully sung. As usual, mutilated.
Wonder how the north is receiving the film. My money, time tottal damage!

Updated:

• Maybe i got it wrong but i'm reasonably sure that i saw a present-day SUV when the movie is still in flashback mode, ie, Guru has not yet become a father!
• Deja-vu galore - Nayagan
• What was that in the climax about Sujata being a partner? What were the commission members doing?

Updated again:
Mani says he doesn't take sides but rather he is just an impartial observer. No way. Instead, he outrageously romanticizes his unstated stand and makes a simplistic candy offering out of his ode to capitalism. There is another movie which is a bit similar in this aspect. That movie doesn't preach but its hit the audiences so hard that it still 'hurts' today. Going by what Mani says in his interview, he ought to have treated the movie, and especially his stand or lack thereof, like this

The great actor had understood the philosophy behind the book and the film.
In a magazine interview, Brando explained, ``I don't think the film is about the Mafia at all. It is about the corporate mind. Don Corleone is just another American business magnate who is trying to do the best he can for the group he represents. Corleone's tactics were no different from those used by General Motors against Ralph Nader, the consumer activist.'' This was a brilliant analysis.
There was not much difference between American big business and the Mafia. ``The former kills us all the time, with cars, pollution and cigarettes,'' argued Brando.
Brando identified himself so much with the role of Don Corleone, that he introduced several little touches, which increased the film's impact.
In one scene he uttered two phrases, ``After all, we are not murderers ... in spite of what the undertaker says.''