NANAYAM

My Review:Nanayam



Capital film works’ “Nanayam ” is a thoroughly enjoyable thriller which keeps the audience glued to their seats right through. The debutant director Shakti S Rajan who is also the writer has done a very good job . “Nanayam ” will surely be the surprise winner among all the pongal releases.

The premise of a bank robbery is not only novel to Tamil cinema, it is a fresh departure from the routine “ Dada – Madhurai- Aruval “ stories which we come across every other Friday. Tight screenplay without any loose ends , power packed performance from the two heroes , sleek cinematography innovative editing all makes it a worthy movie watching experience.

Prasanna looks suave & debonair in the role of the chief security officer of “ the world’s safest bank “ caught between his loyalty for his Boss and his love for a stranger . He has excelled in the action sequences to .

Sibiraj’s is a career best role so far & he has lapped it up with glee. His screen presence is thoroughly enjoyable (probably for the first time in his career) & sparks fly whenever he is onscreen. Even though he is the antagonist he succeeds in making us rooting for him.

Heroine of Nanayam has a lot more to do than just romance & shake a leg or two. Ramya has a substantial role to play but she is yet to get into the nuances of expressions & emoting.

S.P.Balasubramanyam does a good job in the role of Prasanna’s Boss with a secret to hide.

Om Prakash’s cinematography is another top draw for the movie. He has presented the movie in a very glossy & lustrous manner.

“Naan Pogiraen ” & “Ka ka ka ka” are enjoyable numbers from James Vasanthan while Sai Thaman’s background scores leaves a lot to be desired with heavy influences from Ilayaraja’s score in “Michael Madana Kama Rajan”.

On the whole , “Nanayam ” is a must watch.

Bottomline : Honestly good.

3.5/5

KUTTY

My Review :Kutty.




“Kutty ” frame by frame remake of Telugu hit “Arya ” fails to create the impact the original created in the viewers. It is plagued by a very slow narration & echelon of artificiality right through the narration. It is bewildering how a script that did wonders in one language gets lost in translation. Even the hardworking Danush & better performance from Shriya fails to elevate the movie which is downright boring .

Danush has done a decent job to recreate “Arya ” as “Kutty ” however for those who got bedazzled with Allu Arjun in the original may find Danush’s a tad mediocre. Yet he manages to come to his own in the climax outburst.

It is one of those rare movies where Shriya has shown her acting talent instead of what she actually does. It is a deglamourized role for her she acquits herself well.

Dhyan , the third of the love triangle is adequate. He should have worked hard on the lip sync for he looks out of place in many areas where he is required to mouth lengthy dialogues.

Neelima as Shriya’s friend is charming & has given more than a strong support.

Devisriprasad has repeated his tunes from the original which has a very strong Telugu influence. “Feel my love ” is a good melody.

Balasubramanyem’s cinematography is nowhere near the original where Rathnavelu have done a stupendous work which was in fact one of the USPs of the movie.

Mithran R Jawahar has written the dialogues & directed this movie originally scripted by Sukumar . He has played it safe this time & instead of meddling with the script like that he did in his earlier movie “Yaradi Nee Mohini” here he has faithfully followed the original. But the thing is that he has failed to recreated the magic of the original with the sluggish screenplay playing the spoilsport.

On the whole , “Kutty ” is boring .

Bottomline:

2.5/5

VETTAIKARAN

My Review: Vettaikaran




“Vettaikaran” latest Vijay flick is definitely better than couple of his previous releases but by no means it imply that it is a good movie considering the standard of movies which we come across off late in Tamil.”Vettaikaran ” is entertaining for most parts but it is unbearable to say the least as far as it’s last half an hour is concerned.

Vijay for all his sincerest of efforts what he urgently needs is a good scriptwriter who can sustain the interest of the viewer till the end credits or else must choose the right script to remake from other languages. Else though Vijay fans are a loyal bunch of supporters they may still remain his fans but only thing is that instead of watching such redundant flicks one after another in cinema theatre they may well restrict themselves to watching some of his better movies like “Ghilli ” , “ Kadhaluku mariyadhai ”, “ Kushi ” , “Sachein ” ….in home theatre.

Vijay is the sole redeeming factor of the movie shouldering such a week script ably with his charisma & screen presence. One wonders how he manages to look younger & younger with every passing year & every other movie. He looks dashing, has had a field day in doing comical sequences thus vindicating the fact that he is the best when it comes to doing comedy among his peers & elegant personified in the action sequences, though his fan are bound to get disappointed by the fact that he has very limited scope as far as dancing is concerned. Vijay has underplayed in this movie which is the right way to go & if only he chooses a better script henceforth, both he himself & his fans will have reasons to rejoice.

Anushka does what she knows & what has made her a successful actress in Telugu.

Salim Ghouse has made a welcome comeback after a long hiatus .It is such a pleasure to hear his Tamil diction which very few North Indian actors hope to manage. Rest of the villain gang is straight out of Perarasu’s stable.

Vijay Anthony’s music is a strong draw for the movie. “Karaikalan ” & “Chinna thamarai ” are excellent while “ En uchi ” & “Naan adicha ” are foot tapping . “Puli Varudhu” has grown up with repeated hearing . As far as re-recording goes it is all noise & hum din.

Gopinath’s ,the cinematographer’s visualization of the songs especially “Karaikalan ” & “Chinna thamarai “ are pleasing. Also the wide angle & freeze frame shots in the fight sequences are good .Technically movie is better.

Babu Sivan has written & directed the movie & makes his debut. His writing I good for about three quarters of the movie but he seem to have lost it all in the final quarter. He has a good flair for comedy .Him being the erstwhile assistant of Dharani shows. Dharani hangover is evident all through the movie & Babu Sivan has industriously followed his mentor’s template of Family-Romance-Comedy in the first half, hero falling at the interval & his raise & retaliation in the second.

On the whole , movie is entertaining in parts but on the whole it is routine masala which may not be palatable for all .

Bottomline : Where is the script...

3/5

PUGAIPADAM

My Review : PUGAIPADAM




“Pugaipadam ” is by newcomer Rajeshlingam in which he has tried to explore uncharted terrain – college friendship. The novelty of the theme is appreciable only that he must have understood the need for subtlety before execution. Over the top acting marred by some equally exaggerated sequences which transport the viewers to the cinematic colleges of 80’s .The redundant screenplay which becomes tiring after a point makes it a strenuous experience.

The debutant’s eye for emotions stand out in couple of sequences especially the English lecturers sermon to the student from Tamil medium school as well as the sequence where the friends separate along the gender lines. The major letdown is the climax which looks contrived . The manner in which the students behave with their H.O.D , the students getting away from copying in the exams & how suddenly people become friends & fall in love with one another are rather way too cinematic .

As far the actors goes only Priya , the one who plays Bala & senior girl passes muster. Rest of them ham it up . Special mention is must about that one who plays Krithika Rao who’s characterization is precariously placed on a thin thread dangling in between overtly zealous & insanity . It is sad too see experienced actor like Shanmugasundaram being caricaturized . Television actors Neelima & Venkat shine with their experience.

Gangai Amaran’s songs are way too noisy except for couple of melodies. Too many songs sprouting out from no where mars the proceeding very badly.

Vijay Armstrong’s camera captures Kodaikanal is all it’s glory .

Editing is haphazardly done .One doesn’t know whether B.Lenin , the movie’s editor or the theatre operator is to be blamed.

On the whole , Pugaipadam is great on ideas but pathetic in it’s execution.

Bottomline: Pugaipadam - old & outdated...

2/5

KANDEN KADHALAI

My Review: Kanden Kadhalai




Tamanna , Barath & Santhanam are the three pillars on whom the super-structure of “Kanden Kadhalai ” (KK) rests strongly on. Incidentally “KK” is the remake of “Jab We Met ” , one of the biggest hits in Hindi last year. Written by Imtiaz Ali , R.Kannan has adapted it well into Tamil faithfully following the original for most parts with added local flavours & spicy comedy to boost.

First half wiz past even before one gets a foothold of the proceedings .It is delightful with Tamanna & Santhanam having a field day .Barath plays second fiddle to both of them before he comes to his own in the latter half where he finds the fine balance between subtlety & exuberance .


On the downside 2nd half sags a bit & screenplay plays truant before the movie gets over all of a sudden. Why even after knowing that Barath is not Tamanna’s lover Nizhalgal Ravi , Azhagam Perumal & Sapan Saran readily accept him as the bridegroom or don’t try to clear the issue is baffling. Also the reasons why Tamanna finally falls for Barath lacks plausibility & profundity .These are few minor glitches in otherwise well made movie.


Barath is Sauvé & stylish , has proved all his detractors wrong who questioned his selection for this role essayed superbly by Shahid Kapoor in the original. He has worked on his body language with subtleness of expressions & underplay of emotions .The end result is superb. Way to go Barath.


Tamanna has also done a tremendous job as “Anjali ” & the manner in which she has managed to show the contrast between the vivacity of the first half & sobriety of the second is treat to watch. Her interlude with Barath in her hostel about how naïve she used to be particularly with reference to that lodge episode would bring a tear or two.She once again vindicates how talented she is provided she gets the right scripts.


Santhanam rules the roost in a original character added in the Tamil version. It is one of his best so far. Unlike in many of his movies , here he is given ample scope & he has lapped it up with glee. He plays a very important role in keeping the movie lively with his timely & witty remarks.

P.G.Muthiah’s cinematography is flawless but he must have shown some contrast in the hues in accordance to the emotional shades of the lead pair which worked out splendidly in the original.


Vidyasagar is back after a long time with some hum worthy tunes .”Suthuthu suthuthu ” & “Venpanju megam ” are treats.


On the whole , the movie is a treat for whole family . Forget the comparisons & go with an open mind & come out satisfied.

Bottomline : Kanden Kadhalai - Vellum Manadhai..!

3.5 / 5

AADHAVAN

My Review: Aadhavan



“Aadhavan ” from the combo of K.S.Ravikumar & Suriya , both riding on a successful upward tide has raised expectations right from its beginning. Whether the movie lives up to the expectations is partially in the affirmative. The movie is a routine K.S. Ravikumar formula of a family entertainer with heavy doses of action. What keeps the movie interested is Vadivelu & only him.

First half is racy with rib tickling comedy thanks mainly to Vadivelu & Suriya to some extent & gets over even before you realize . Sadly the second half peters out into a mundane affair without any ingenuity where the director has borrowed heavily from the movies of yesteryears .

Suriya is good in his role of an assassin with a past . But when each & every one time & again compares him with M.G.R., Shivaji , Rajini & Kamalhassan it becomes irritating.

Nayanthara don’t have much to do in a shake- a – leg –wet-the-eyes role.

Vadivelu is the real hero of the movie without whom the movie would have become very much boring. He revels in the role of Banner’ji & he is there onscreen almost throughout the movie. The manner in which he gets caught on camera time & again plotting to kill his boss is a scream.

SarojaDevi is more of a caricature than anything else. Sad to see a legend as she is reduced to such an insipid role.

Movie has a whole loads of supporting actors who do their jobs without any fuss.

In Harris Jayaraj’s music couple of songs are good.

Ra.Ganesh’s Cinematography is stylish.

Movie has K.S.Ravikumar stamp all over it but it gets redundant after a point. His dialogues are funny & lively which keeps the movie going.

On the whole , first half is good but second is tiring.

Bottomline: Vadivelu the saviour.

3/5

PERANMAI

My Review: Peranmai





“Peranmai ” lives up to the reputation of being a S.P.Jhananathan movie.He has once again taken up a topical issue & plotted it well into a story & screenplay (credited to Kalyanakrishnan )and presented in a palatable manner.The movie is high on intentions , adequate on the technology front & making wise .That the movie is devoid of any romantic interludes or duets despite having 5 heroines & a romantic hero is big relief .

Jayam Ravi shines in the role of a young forest officer who belongs to the tribal community.He is restrained in his portrayal & that elevates the impact of his characterization. It is such a surprise to see an action movie without even an iota of heroism , infact the hero is humiliated to the core right through the first half.Also the manner in which his superior officer gain all the accolades & awards bypassing the real person who did all the hard work is shown in a hard hitting manner & realistic to the day to day happenings.

Movie has 5 female leads, chosen more for their acting prowess rather than on their looks have done good jobs. Especially Saranya & Vasundhara shine in their roles.

Ponvannan & Urvashi give ample support while Vadivelu comes in more of a serious role than much comedy.

Much hyped Hollywood actor Roland Kickinger as the antagonist doesn’t live up to the hype in an underwritten role.

Vidhyasagar is the music director & it’s been ages since he gave music of any notice & he continues in that vein here too.

S.R.Sathiskumar’s cinematography is very good & thinking of how much toil he must have undergone in shooting in such inhospitable terrains is a great achievement .The movie is a visual splendour & celebration of nature.

All said & done , where the movie lacks or lags is in the dialogues – which are very crude & B-gradish [almost as crude patriotism as that in “Gadar – the prem katha ”] overdose of patriotism & racial profiling . Lewd dialogues from the mouth of the girls too adding to the hum din [censor have mercilessy butcherd almost 20% of the dialogues..!].

Also the manner in which Ravi takes a lecture before each & every step becomes irritating after a point of time which gives a feel of watching Discovery channel rather than a movie. Ponvannan’s uncalled-for action on the tribals is contrived .

If only Jhana has removed such irritants & reduced the length of the movie to 90 mins or so , “Peranmai ” would have become a “cult” movie of the south. But what we got is a movie high on ideas but dragged down the aisle by the routine commercial considerations or should we say the maker’s indulgence.

Bottomline : Peranmai = 40% Pudhumai + 60% Palamai

3/5