UNNAI POL ORUVAN

My Review : Unnai Pol Oruvan



“Unnai Pol Oruvan ” , a remake of the hindi hit “A Wednesday ” is a well made movie that seeks to interpret how a south Indian “Common man ” & a south Indian Policeman will react in that given situation. In its own way it does justice to that effect. When one have power-packed performers like Kamalhassan & Mohanlal on board it is bound to be a delight for the connoisseurs. The exchanges between them are especially of high quality & heavy-duty.


While Kamalhassan is as subtle as he can get in the role of the common man which he does effortlessly with his characteristic witticism resurfacing now & then Mohanlal is an absolute delight in the role of a dynamic yet vulnerable policeman. One yearns for more from these two masters especially when the movie gets over in less than two hours itself.


Among the supporting cast Lakshmi does a adequate job while others like Ganesh Venkataraman , Poonam Kaur , Anuja Iyer look pleasant onscreen but bring about an aura of artificiality around their performances.


Shruthi Hassan’s re-recording is cool & modern with ample use of silence to elevate certain sequences.


Manoj Soni ‘s cinematography is excellent .


Chakri makes his debut as director with this movie.


Though the movie moves at a serious clip intelligent use of witticism adds spice to the proceedings. Though one expected more powerful dialogues from Kamalhassan’s pen he disappoints . Also unnecessary use of CM’s mimicry voice spoils the seriousness of the sequence.


One thing which is evident from seeing the movie is that the makers have made this movie in a hurried manner so as to release the movie to coincide with the celebrations of Kamalhassan completing 50 years of acting. In that hasty endeavor the quality of the end product has become the casualty.


Bottomline : Hassan & Lal fan’s delight .


3.5/5

EERAM

My Review: Eeram





“Eeram” is a promising attempt from a young team led by Arivazhagan ,who has it in him to become a very good filmmaker (he must certainly work on scripting aspect of it though ) , Mahesh Paramahamsa , yet another talented cinematographer gracing the Tamil Cinema Industry & Thaman.S who has given some excellent tunes & vindicates himself in re-recording too.

The movie is brilliant up to the half way mark with it’s stylish making , tautness of screenplay & chilling suspense maintained throughout the half , but sadly it takes a downward spiral in the second half which is dragging , contrived with no scope for suspense or thrill with some old fashioned screenplay playing the spoilsport .But it will not deny any plaudits the makers will be receiving from the connoisseurs for the attempt in itself in the first place & the high standards of making belying the naivety of the makers .

Aadhi looks dapper & suave as a police officer & has done his part pretty well .His is one of the better attempt at portrayal of a police officer. Nanda may have done better .There is some shallowness in his characterization & he fails to add coldness to his demeanor especially during those couple of important sequences.

Sindhu Menon comes back after a brief hiatus in a unidimensional role where all the scope she has is wailing all the time which she does adequately. Saranya Mohan impresses in a brief role.

Cinematography is excellent .Mahesh Parahamsa deserves all the credits he will receive . The colour tone in itself plays a role in the movie – the greenish blue hue representing the spirit throughout the movie.

Re-recording is important for any thriller , here too Thaman.S succeeds in that aspect but his re-recording in the romantic & sentimental scenes needs some improvement. Songs “Mazhaiye mazhaiye ” , ” Tharai Erangiya ” linger in one’s mind.

Arivazhagan comes across as a youngster with immense potential as a maker & if he brush-up his writing skills he will go a long way .

On the whole , movie is worthy of a watch .

Bottomline : OK.

3.5/5

NINAITHALE INIKUM

My Review: Ninaithale Inikum




“Ninaithale Inikum “ is must watch for all those aspiring film-makers & assistant directors to know :
1) How not to make a remake &
2) How not to make a movie in the first place.
All those who were ridiculing “Jayam ” Raja – Go to hell! Movies like these vindicate the talent Raja has in remaking movies without spoiling the original & successfully at that time & again.

The writing is very pathetic with some juvenile direction adding to the woes. The Malayalam original was as natural as a college campus story can get whereas this Tamil version is as artificial as it may get without even any iota of reality . College campus of “Ninaithale Inikum ” is a straight lift from those the likes of Karthik , Murali & co used to rule.

The screenplay is disjointed with irritatingly placed unwanted songs standing alienated from the proceedings though they are good to hear & beautifully shot . There is no semblance of thrill as the movie moves towards the climax which was very much evident in the Malayalam version . The student politics which was brilliantly portrayed in the original also looks very banal here.

All the actors have put in their sincere efforts while Cinematography & the colour tone used are top class though they are not enough to salvage this half backed attempt. Prithviraj is adequate while Priyamani looks plump .Karthik Kumar , Shakthi & Vishnu Priyan have done a neat job . Anuja Iyer overacts a bit while K.Baghyaraj , Jeeva & Ilavarasu have redundant characterization.

Vijay Anthony’s songs are good especially “Ahagai Pookuthey ” & “Piya Piya ” .He however draws a blank in the rerecording .

Balasubramanyam’s cinematography is the only USP of the movie which stands tall over anything else in the movie.

On the whole , give it a miss & those who have seen the original – Don’t even dare go anywhere near the theaters showing this movie!

Bottomline : Ninaithale Inikum – Parthale kasakum …!!

2/5

MADHURAI SAMBAVAM

My Review: Madhurai Sambavam



“ Madhurai Sambavam “ is one of those movies where we step in with zero expectation but the movie makes us sit back half way through sustaining the interest right until the end credits. Plot is nothing but a cat and mouse game between a “ Madhurai dada ” & a cop on special posting to eradicate all the anti-social elements of the city . Cop here is cute looking but mean encounter specialist, Caroline Thomas.


Unlike our regular movies here none is good or bad, every one has a dark secret to hide & have their own share of justifications for all their grayish activities. Unlike the regular Tamil movies here both the male lead as well as the female lead are equally strong characters & scope to perform equitably.


Eureka , the debutant director has done well in his screenplay , dialogues & direction . The movie moves very predictably until the entry of Anunya after which there are numerous unexpected twists & turns keeping one glued to the seat. All said and done but it is the central theme of the movie which is disturbing one’s mind – that encouraging “ goondaism ” while punishing the sincerity of the cops in their mission . Also there are severe doses of male chauvinism sprinkled throughout the movie. The manner in which a rowdy French-kisses a cop in the middle of the street & a senior cop getting burnt alive in the public while glorifying all those who does these atrocious acts , the director has gone too far . Why this fascination towards rowdism …?!


Among the actors Anunya scores more than anyone else .It is yet another strong character for her which she has done admirably .Though she evokes peels of laughter in her initial scenes when she comes in the cop uniform & mouths punch dialogues against the rogues , she comes to her own after a while . Here is one actress with all the potential to make it big as an “ actor ” rather than just yet another glamour doll.


Harikumar though needs a lot of effort to become a credible actor . I don’t know who advised him to delivery his dialogues the way he does in this movie. It gets under one’s nerve after a while . The manner in which he talks even the most casual of dialogues sounds artificial as if he is delivering a “punch dialogue ” .


Karthika doesn’t have much to do expect for a song sequence & couple of scenes . Radharavi’s is a dignified portrayal .


Tamil cinema has got yet another comedian (what is his name ) in the one who comes as Harikumar’s friend “Mandayan” .He excels in serious sequences too.


Sukumar’s cinematography is patchy & average to say the least while John Peter’s music has nothing to rave about .


On the whole , “Madhurai Sambavam ” is not a bad cinema , it merits at least a watch once.


Bottomline : Watchable.


2.5 / 5 (deserves a "3" but for the wrong theme ..!)

KANTHASAMY

My Review : Kanthasamy





“Kandhasamy ” is not a typical tamil movie . Susi Ganeshan who has been giving us some sensible movies has turned atypical with this movie trying to ape Shankar who himself modeled his style on S.A.Chandrasekar’s “ Naan Sigappu Manithan “ and Kalaigner’s “Parasakthi” .Movie has scenes , dialogues , situations …what not which we have witnessed & battered from the days of “Parasakthi ” to “Shivaji ” . While working over-time on what to ctrl+v & what to ctrl+x , he seem to have got confused a great deal which we come to know from him swapping the “Making of Kandhasamy ” which would have ideally come in the end credits finding place in first half itself. Also his penchant for screen space ala Perarasu continues with this movie too.

Vikram is yet another person who baffles us with his atypicality . Post “Anniyan ” at which point of time he was right at the top behind the “Big Two ” of Tamil cinema , he has done some pathetic script selection & what more he has wasted precious time (very generously at that ) in those banal projects . He keeps plummeting down the rail with each of his movies ever since without any rethinking of his strategy. Sad that all his hard-work & time is getting wasted by such over-indulgent directors.


Shriya is atypical too but in the positive sense of the word . Though she continue with her routine show of skin , she has tried to “Act ” a bit in this movie & unlike heroines of such movies , here she has scope to perform which she has used well. Infact it is she who seems to attract more men to this movie than anyone associated with the movie.


One person on whom one cannot use the word atypical is Kalaipuli S.Thanu who keeps his track record intact with this movie too after that colossal “ HIT ” – “Sakkarakatti”. One wonders from where he garners resources for such big budgeted misadventures one after another –the dialogue “ivan evlo adichalum thangaranya…! ” echoing in my mind.One sincere advise to Thanu sir . Instead of adopting villages if you stop producing movies it would be a great service to mankind in general & movie buffs in particular.


DeviSriprasad’s music doesn’t have any scope for subtlety & re-recording has nothing novel .

One person who comes out with his reputation enhanced is N.Ekambaram , the cinematographer of the movie. He has done some excellent cinematography elevating the movie beyond the written material . If only he used some subtleness in the Mexican scenes as far as the colour scheme is concerned he would have sparred the viewer’s eyes from photo toxic effects of bright yellow.


After seeing this movie one is bound to get angered by the obscene amounts spend for the invitation , audio launch & the movie’s budget overall – in how ever modern , costly tetra pack you sell a gruel , none will bother to even sniff at it if it is stale & unhealthy which is what “Kanthasamy “ is ….

Bottomline: “Kanthasamy “ – Super Zero…..

2/5.

POKKISHAM

My Review: Pokkisham



One has to wait almost 8 months of the year to get to see a Tamil movie which can be proudly proclaimed to have come from Tamil film industry. And “Pokkkisham ” is worth the wait . Cheran , one of the most underrated director of the Tamil Industry has once again vindicated his talent .One wonders when will creator like him get his due when all and sundry makes it big after just a couple of commercial routines. It takes loads of guts on the part of the makers as well to come forward & produce such an experimental movie .

“Pokkisham ” is a special film that anyone with lyrical bent of mind will savor . The writer in Cheran has had a field day & he must have enjoyed himself writing for this movie. Dialouges sparkles while the letters that come interspersed are enjoyable & are of high quality Tamil. It’s been years since one has come across such a beautiful use of Tamil language onscreen.

Cheran , the director has been growing in stature ever since his debut both content wise as well as in the making too & “Pokkisham ” is a natural progression in that evolution. He has come back with a bang after that blip with “Maya Kannadi ” . The way he has scripted such an unusual screenplay & has directed that in such a coherent manner deserves couple of awards or two.

Another department that deserves high accolades includes the Production Design team headed by the Art director Vairabalan. They have recreated Kolkatta , Chennai & Nagore of the 70’s with such precise minute detailing .

Rajesh Yadav has captured the movie which is essentially an emotional reminiscence with élan & gaiety . He has worked meticulously on the 70’s look along with the Production Design team . Like the “Subramanyapuram” team last year they too come out with flying colours in thisn department.

Saravan-Ayyapan’s Editing is trendy but at the same time very relevant to the script.

Sabesh-Murali’s re-recording is excellent as does all the songs of the movie. “Nila ..Nee Vanam ” with beautiful verses from Yugabarathi & rendered mellifluously by Vijay Yesudas & Chinmayi haunts for long while “Anjal Petti ” , “Azhagu Mugam ” & “Mozhi Illamale ” are very good . “Nadira Nadira ” with Bengali folk is foot-tapping.

Coming to the performances Cheran has improved a great deal in acting . The manner in which he is able to portray even minute of expressions (though he overdoes those in couple of instances ) convey the progression.


Padmapriya too has done an excellent job with her natural portrayal . She scores over Cheran in almost all their combination scenes . She has effortlessly performed in each & every scene but the only blemish is her garish make-up in the end with looked very clumsy.

Each every other character stay in our mind for long like Vijayakumar , Ilavarasu , Bengali neighbour girl , that postman in Kolkatta , Nadira’s mother & father , her friend …..so on.

“Pokkisham ” is a must watch movie since movies of such high class & content comes very rarely in Tamil Cinema nowadays. Don’t miss it at any cost .

Bottomline : “Ilakiya vadivil oru eyalbana cinema …..!”

4.5/5

MALAI MALAI

My Review: Malai Malai




A.Venkatesh directed "Malai Malai " starring one of the most talented yet unlucky actor , Arun Vijay , is a decent commercial cocktail with all ingredients of the masala in almost correct proportions . Movie has a decent storyline , competent acting by all concerned , hilarious comedy tract with ample dose of sentiment towards the end . Barring few over the top “hilarious” action sequences (especially hero flying all over , buildings , buses …. While riding a bicycle ) the director has managed to keep the heroism at a reasonable level.

There is nothing new about story which is a clash of wits between a innocent , manly village ruffian and a powerful city dada . The credit must go to the director in presenting such a stale story in an engrossing & entertaining manner .

Arun Vijay may get a long awaiting break with this movie . He has worked hard & it shows on screen . He looks every inch a villager who is not only courageous but also courteous .He looks dashing in song sequences .

Vedhika plays a RJ who falls in love with the hero .Her’s is not a insignificant role that heroines in such masala entertainers usually have .She has scope to perform as well her character too have some degree of importance in the movie.

Prabhu seems to have enjoyed playing his role to the hilt which shows onscreen . He revels in both hilarious as well in sentimental scenes.

Prakash Raj is brilliant as usual though there is nothing novel in his role .

Kasthuri comes back after a long hiatus & the song “Anthiyile vanam ” when she meets Prabhu for the first time is a case of good timing by the director.

Shanthanam , Kanja Karupu , “Lollu Sabha ” Manohar & Aarthi combines to present on the hilarious comedy track in recent times .

Mani Sharma ‘s music is nothing new but couple of melodies which he has reused from his Telugu Albums are good to hear .

A.Venkatesh’s cinematography is adequate .

A.Venkatesh once again proves that he is a competent director when it comes to giving a commercial potboiler . Though one may feel that there is nothing new to watch , this one keeps you interested throughout its length . At the time when the top stars of Tamil Cinema are struggling to give a good commercial cinema to satisfy their fans , this movie comes as surprisingly entertaining .

On the whole , movie is a nice time pass if you don’t mind doses of illogical sequences .

Bottomline : Not Bad.



3/5