Vengai

My Review: VENGAI



Hari is an enigma who invariably follows up a hit movie with a dud . This time also its not different ,after that super duper hit “Singham” he has made this largely forgettable “Vengai”. Its a tiring watch having seen such a movie umpteen times in the past , many from Hari himself. Story is routine tit for tat game of cat and mouse between the good & the evil which follows a predictable screenplay .

Movie sticks strictly to the tamil-masala action movie template religiously following each tenets . Right from the first few scenes which has the villain trying to create havoc , Hero outthinking that & emerging victorious followed by a mass opening songs with lyrics praising the holy traits of the hero.......it’s a BIG YAWN.

Dhanush has lost track after his critically acclaimed & award-winning performance in “Aadukalam” by doing pathetic movies like “Mapillai” & this one. Thamanna unlike her recent movies has scope to perform which she has utilised well. Rajkiran is getting typecast & it is tedious to see him in the usual “Oor periya manusar” role again & again. Prakashraj’s character is yet another poorly etched one which he tries to salvage to some extent by putting into use his “Gilli”ish antics.

Kanja Karuppu’s comedy track is the most irritating track one has seen in a long time.

Vetri’s cinematography has nothing much to rave about while DeviSriPrasad’s music is poor with none of the songs registering in one’s mind.

On the whole ,”Vengai” is a routine village action fare with bloodshed-sentiment-romance on the lines of “Thamirabarani” which tests one’s patience to an large extent.

Bottomline : Tedious

2/5

Muni 2 - Kanchana

My review : Muni 2 - Kanchana





After his impressive directorial debut with “Muni” Raghava Lawrence concentrated on acting dishing out movies which outdid each other in their mediocrity. Having pushed to the wall in search of redemption he has once again tried his hands on direction. He has stuck to his strengths which he has showcased & successfully at that in “Muni” that is mixing horror with comedy. In this sequel he has also touched upon a good social message too .

That the movie is shot with a shoe-string budget is evident from the cast & crew as well the tackiness of the CG effects in particular & technical details of the movie in general. Raghava Lawrence has once again managed to present a movie with a crisp screenplay with double the dose of horror compared the former with a lot of scenes making one jump in his seat with fright. Comedy has also worked out well with Kovai Sarala & Divyadarshini ruling the roost in this department.

On the down side , as usual a hero introduction action sequence followed by a “mass” song makes one squirm in the seat right at the outset. First half an hour or so is mindless with no direction whatsoever .Movie meanders until the appearance of the ghost. Certain aspects like Lawrence climbing onto each & every one of his female relatives hips in fright & certain dialogues here and there are quiet repulsive.

SharathKumar deserves kudos for accepting the role of a transgender in the first place & deserves praise for doing so convincingly without caricaturizing it. Raghava Lawrence reprise his role of a phasmophobic youngster who is courageous & macho otherwise ! Laxmi Rai has nothing much to do while Kovai Sarala & Divyadarshini bring down the roof with laughter with their comic antics & hilarious dialogue & lingo.

Thaman’s music with respect to songs have nothing much to rave about but his background score is adequate in elevating the thrilling effects & the mood of the movie.

Vetri’s cinematography is adequate but the movie is nowhere close to “Muni” as far as technical finesse is concerned.

Raghava Lawrence might have hit the bulls eye with his second directorial venture too with the movie keeping the viewer engaged with the occurrence on screen . On the whole, “Kanchana” is watchable if one is tolerant enough to excuse certain shortcomings & crassness here & there and able to appreciate a valuable message driven home.

Bottomline: Will surly scare you...

3/5

Deiva Thirumagal

My Review : Deiva Thirumagal



“I am Sam ” is one of the best movies done on the subject of a person with subnormal intelligence & issues of child custody associated with the same. The movie had one of the best performances ever by Sean Penn & was realistic to the core with a pragmatic ending. When an Indian adaptation of the same is made one might not think of anyone other than KamalHassan or Vikram to reprise the role. Also it would invariably have all those additive elements that a commercially viable movie should have according to trade.

“Deiva Thirumagal” is an adaptation of “I am Sam” presented in a palatable manner for the Tamil audience. With judicious mixture of melodrama , feel-goodedness , mindless comedy , comic-book song sequence & excellent acting , “Deiva Thrirumagal” has in it to become a commercial hit. Though the movie is “filmy” to the core Vijay has managed to present a tale which intrinsically has the danger of getting boring in an interesting manner. Never once in the 2 hour 30 minute stay in the theatre one gets uninterested in the proceedings.

Vikram is excellent in his portrayal of the protagonist with subnormal intelligence. There is always a danger of portraying such a character either comically or theatrically but Vikram has managed it with élan. The body language , dialogue delivery & demeanour clinically depicts the joy , agony , anger & sorrow of the character of Krishna , a grown up child with the mental age of 5.

Anushka is adequate in her role of a struggling young lawyer who takes up the protagonist’s case. Amala Paul has nothing much to do while Nasser is as good as ever. Shanthanam is comical with his characteristic one liners.

The supporting cast are good .

Nirav Shah’s cinematography is outstanding as ever. Technically the movie is brilliant especially “Katha solla poren” & ” Vizhigalil oru vanavil” song sequences are excellently picturized.

“Aarariro ” & “Vizhigalil oru vanavil ” are melodious & hum worthy from G.V.prakashkumar while his background score is okay with certain sequences hurting the ear drum.

Vijay has once again vindicated that he is one of the most promising young director in Tamil cinema today with his “Deiva Thirumagal “ which is a worthy follow-up to his brilliant “Madarasapatinam”.

On the whole , “Deiva Thirumagal” is a must watch especially to savour Vikram’s acting.

Bottomline : Eternal sunshine of spotless mind.

3.5 / 5

Delhi Belly

My review :Delhi Belly



Aamir Khan productions’ “Delhi Belly” written by Akshat Verma & directed by Abhinay Deo is a laugh riot. Though movie is a unabated funny ride from start to finish , many may get offended by the means used to rake in the laughs.

Many a sequences are downright repulsive while some other are very foul to Indian cinema standards .But the makers have ensured whether you like it or not one can’t come out of the theatre without having their stomach aching after the loads of fun the movie puts through the viewers.

Story is a thread bare one but the treatment is what unique & bit audacious to Indian standards. May be this is the first movie in India of the genre “adult comedy” if one may put this movie into a category .And the movie is rated for adults purely for its language .

Imran Khan is adequate but Vir Das & Kunal Roy Kapoor steal the show in that order. The movie’s most comical of one-liners are reserved to Vir Das who mouths them effortlessly. Vijay Raaz is funny as ever while the ladies Poorna Jagannath & Shenaz Treasurywala are supportive to the story.

Jason West’s cinematography races through the dusty & crowded streets of interior Delhi with elan. Huzefa Lokhandwala has done a crisp job editing the movie giving it a racy feel.

Ram Sampath’s music is already a rage among youngsters with “Bhaag D.K.Bose ” ruling the charts. "I Hate You (Like I Love You)" is another fun song comically picturised on Aamir Khan. His background score is also not that bad considering its his first movie.

On the whole , “Delhi Belly ” is outrageous fun provided one is able go through all those hideous moments on screen.

Bottomline : Comedy , not for the faint hearted...!

3.5 /5