Alaipayuthey

mani ratnam my goat..... where should i start beyond the heavy fashion inspo and the BANGER rahman soundtrack (my own personal god) - this movie is just so HONEST. i love love love how his movies always have older experienced male characters who unconditionally love their wives and help the dumbass main character get his head right. such a nuanced and complex exploration which feels realistic and the flawed characters feel lovable. i ADORE how the mom's priorities are her education rather than marriage, such an indicator of the changing times back then. i usually never skip songs anyway but for the songs in this movie i actually physically could not get myself to even look away from the screen, didn’t even realise i was staring at them like a demented loser, avg rahman x mani ratnam craft tbh i usually hate silly misunderstandings in movies - it gives me anxiety. but as always mani ratnam leaves no stone unturned. the cinematography is unbeatable. timeless work. and the way old movies found innovative ways to show sex, where you utilise every part of the face and body except the main ones, is actually much more intimate. there's a study somewhere about the "sniff-kiss" south asians do and it reminded me of that. OH ALSO i LOOOOOVE how his movies are always from the perspectives of the main leads only, in the sense that you feel like you're part of their world with them, not looking in from the outside. and it belongs to both of them equally. i mean the depth to the female main character is unparalleled and it's a consistent pattern with him bcs he's js goated like that. i love that their fights aren’t really about anything at all when you look a little deeper, it’s just natural reactions to two indulgent people finally having to cohabit and do everything themselves from scratch. it’s only the way they deal w it that leaves something to be desired. i love how he makes love seem like a good happy and enjoyable time, that love can save and fix you but only if you fix yourself, that merely breathing the same air as your lover is a balm to the wounds of the world. that love is not marred by the disagreements - in fact they only make it grow deeper, like roots. the moments that become precious in the daily monotony - rolling dough, drying clothes, cooking. the small and precious world you build w your lover w your own two hands. aaaaaaa i just love him so much js happy feelings overall