Banner: Red Giant Movies
Production: Udhayanidhi Stalin
Direction: K.S Ravikumar
Story, screenplay, dialogues: Kamal Haasan
Star-casts: Kamal Haasan, Trisha, Madhavan, Sangeetha, Ramesh Aravind, Oorvasi, Suriya (Cameo), ‘Kalavani’ Oviya, Usha Utap and others
Music: Devi Sri Prasad
Cinematography: Manush Nandan
Editing: Shan Mohammad
Actress Ambujam aka Nisha (Trisha) is stressed out on relationship with her fiancé Madhana Gopal (Madhavan) and decides to spend few days with her friend Deepa (Sangeetha) in Paris. He takes her profession of acting into the usual doubts that are raised in a common man. But he doesn’t want to leave at an ease. He keeps her doubting and wants to make sure that he finds out her infidelity and get the news published that Famous Businessman Madhana Gopal refuses to marry actress Nisha. On her journey to Paris, Madhana Gopal gets the aid of Major Mannar (Kamal Haasan), a detective and an ex Indian army to follow her up and make a note of her activities.
Rest of the film about the relationships that revolves around the five characters – Mannar, Madhana Gopal, Ambujam and Deepa…
First things first, Kamal Haasan has done a tremendous job in story, screenplay and dialogues. As a narrator, he has taken the storyline so keenly with the right mix of emotions and comedy moments on equality. The audiences are made sure that they enjoy the next 2hrs15mins in absolute entertainment. He maintains a low profile in characterization wise as he doesn’t opt for a big star opening as his introduction part takes nearly after 20mins. The first half is full of comedy and bar sequences involving Madhavan and Sriman is so funny. After a very long time we see Madhavan in a stupendous character. He tickles our funny bones now and then at many portions. Trisha dubbing with her own voice and seen without skin shows is a special surprise. Thanks to Kamal Haasan for utilizing her to the best. Sangeetha proves to be a good actress in comedy roles as well. Ramesh Aravind and Oorvasi have acted in Kamal Haasan’s films in comedy oriented characters, but this time they have something different for you. Oviya is wasted and Suriya’s cameo is surprising.
Soon after watching the movie, you can be sure that the first half is handled by Kamal Haasan while the scenes after flashback have been given to the authority of K.S Ravikumar. He tries to overcome the emotional things with his usual comedy portions of bringing all characters together towards the climax.
The climax is unpredictable and at the same time not so convincing. It may vary in perceptions from the different set of audiences.
Devi Sri Prasad’s ‘Neela Vaanam’ makes your senses melt and the picturing of flashback in reverse mode is creative. Kamal Haasan’s touch is so blatant here.
Camera works in the cruise and editing is done perfectly.
For the whole, ‘Manmadhan Ambu’ will rock at theatres for this season and will be a successful winner in box office.
Romance on the High Seas Review - Ulaga Madayan is a Shameless Thief
Everything I’ve ever said about women like you on boats like this with men like me certainly turned out to be true. – Jack Carson’s character Peter Virgil to Doris Day’s ‘Elvira Kent’
It’s 11:12PM on the East Coast and after watching two movies today we’ve hit the bottle, first with a Jagermeister-Pinacolada cocktail and now a glass of Tia Maria liqueur is soothing us.
Delicious high, we tell ya.
First, we watched Michael ‘Casablanca‘ Curtiz’ Romance on the High Seas (1948) and after a brief Jagermeister break, we followed it up with There’s Something About Mary (1998).
Folks, Romance on the High Seas (1948) is a charming romantic comedy that Tamil film star Kamal Haasan turned into an abortion recently with his unwatchable crap-show Manmadhan Ambu.
Made in 1948, Romance on the High Seas marked Doris Day’s debut on the screen as a young, poor singer Georgina Garrett unexpectedly landing an opportunity of going on a sea cruise under the guise of a rich businessman’s wife Elvira Kent.
You see, Elvira Kent is a hyper-suspicious woman who’s convinced her husband is having an affair and wants to catch him in flagrante delicto while pretending to her husband that she’s on a cruise.
Meanwhile, Elvira’s husband Michael, equally paranoid and suspicious of his spouse’s loyalties, hires a private detective Peter Virgil (Jack Carson) to follow his wife, who he thinks is going on the cruise.
Whaddayathink?
Before you can say Jack Rabbit, romance is brewing on the cruise-ship between the detective Peter Virgil and the fake Mrs. Elvira Kent.
The movie proceeds at a brisk pace, the photography is impeccable and Michael Curtiz’ direction A-class. There are plenty of clever lines in the film like the one we provided at the top.
A decent actor, Jack Carson certainly threw in a memorable performance in the film. We loved Carson in the great film Mildred Pierce and we love him here again. Tis’ a pity the fella died early (just 52 when he died of stomach cancer in 1963).
Doris Day is alright but Carson is way ahead in the acting department.
Did we tell you that Romance on the High Seas is actually a romantic musical comedy. Probably not. The movie features several fine pieces including the famous It’s Magic, Put em in a Box, The Tourist Trade and Run, Run, Run.
Bloody Theft
Considering we’d recently the Tamil film Manmadhan Ambu, we were taken aback by the extraordinary similarities between the story of the Tamil film and Romance on the High Seas.
By the way, Ulaga Madayan a.k.a Kamal Haasan is the lead actor in Manmadhan Ambu and also takes credit for the story of the film.
Now, we know all ye schmucks with your lips wrapped around Kamal Haasan’s schlong won’t believe us so we’re providing y’all with proof via an exhaustive list of similarities between the two movies.
Get ready now.
Here comes the lengthy list of similarities between Romance on the High Seas and Manmadhan Ambu:
1. Boyfriend/Husband is a very jealous type
2. Boyfriend/husband is a young, rich handsome businessman
3. Boyfriend/husband is the cocky kind
4. The jealous boyfriend/husband hires a private detective to follow his lady love who is leaving on a cruise and report to him about any suspicious activity
5. Most of the events in movie happen on a cruise ship except for brief interludes at ports
6. The detective is an ex-army guy
7. Detective frequently keeps phoning in the boyfriend/husband to provide reports on the activities of the girl/wife
8. Detective falls in love with the girl he’s following
9. Detective sings in both films
10. Some misunderstandings develop between the detective and the girl he’s trailing but they are eventually resolved since the love is strong enough
11. Strong comedy aspect in both movies via Uncle & Oscar in Hollywood film and the ‘Kurups’ in the Tamil version
12. Toward the end of the movie, boyfriend/husband comes flying down unexpectedly
13. Boyfriend’s unexpected arrival triggers panic in the others
14. Chaotic moments in the last 30 minutes
15. Detective ultimately gets the girl he’s following
Of course, there are some differences between the Hollywood and its Tamil imitator.
Here are some of the key differences:
The biggest difference, of course, is that Romance on High Seas is a charming romantic comedy while Manmadhan Ambu is total garbage, a crude piece of shit in comparison. Jack Carson makes Kamal Haasan look like a podiyan in the acting business.
1. Fiance in the Tamil movie becomes husband in Hollywood version
2. Wife is also suspicious in Hollywood version
3. Absence of altruistic angle of helping sick friend in the Hollywood film
4. Detective is a widower whose wife was killed in a car accident by the girl he’s following (although this difference may seem significant, it’s ultimately not a big issue in the Tamil movie)
What’s Key Here
The similarities between the two films overwhelm the differences both in number and importance and lead to the sad but inevitable conclusion that Kamal Haasan has shamelessly filched the story from the 1948 Hollywood movie and palmed it off as his own.
In fact, the differences seem to have been included merely to play down the charges of plagiarism.
Justice would be served if S.Pondal Rios and Carlos A.Olivari (the duo wrote the Romance on the High Seas story) are credited with the story for Manmadhan Ambu and Kamal Haasan’s name stricken off the credits list for story.
You can rent Romance on the High Seas from Netflix if you live in the U.S.
As for the rest, well, your nimble fingers should accomplish the trick.
There’s Something About Mary
To those who think Manmadhan Ambu is a lift of There’s Something About Mary, our response is No, No, No.
We watched There’s Something About Mary a short-while ago.
There’s Something About Mary is a crude romantic comedy, albeit one with moments of hilarious vulgar humor but nowhere near the class of Romance on the High Seas.
Unlike the other two movies, There’s Something About Mary is not set on a cruise ship but on terra firma. There’s a claims investigator played by Matt Dillon, who falls in love with the girl he’s supposed to track down for a writer (Ben Stiller) obsessed with his high school crush Mary (Cameron Diaz).
Stiller is decent enough while Diaz and Dillon are just OK.