Mynaa

My review: Mynaa



I’ve always liked the work of Prabhu Solomon , be it original or inspired , for he always tries something novel .Whether it is “Kokki” , “Ladam” or “Lee” , each of these movies had an unique storyline & thoroughly enjoyable at the same time.
“Mynaa” is no different , in fact THE best of all his works so far , I should add.

The premise is in itself very novel & fresh and the manner in which he has gone about things is brilliant. Though it is billed as “A journey of Love ” , the backdrop of how an intense friendship develops between the fugitive & the pursuers within a matter of 24 hours is a very fresh idea , very well executed on screen. “Chemistry ” between the prisoner & the constable in pursuit is as striking as that between the lead pair . The seamless confluence of love , sentiment , anger , comedy & tragedy leaves you speechless at the end of 2 hours & 30 minutes .

The screenplay has a seamless flow with no impasse whatsoever making it a worthwhile movie viewing experience . One sequence is suffice to get acquainted with the calibre of Prabhu Solomon . The whole Bus sequence is terrific (I wonder when was the last time we had a sequences in which the viewer goes through such a gamut of emotions in a matter of 15 minutes .Kudos Prabhu). Though I have reservations about the ending of the movie which looks contrived , movie as a whole has disturbed & will disturb anyone who happens to watch it.

Vidarth who in the role of Suruli , the fugitive madly(literally) in love with his childhood sweetheart who goes any lengths to get her , is very good. The body language , though appeared to be borrowed a bit from “Paruthiveeran ” , his dialogue delivery & histrionics are apt to the character he portrays .He is yet another talent & how the talent is made used of by the Tamil Movie industry is remained to be seen.

Amala Paul’s beautiful eyes conveys a lot augmented by an expressive face . As the gullible schoolgirl who too reciprocates in the same manner as that of the hero without knowing what fate has in store for her , she manages to incarcerate the viewers hearts & later their minds.

Thambi Ramaiah in a substantial role where he gets chance not only to do comedy but also various shades of emotions is another strong point of the movie. As said earlier his chemistry with Vidarth is a treat to watch.

Sethu as the inspector with a kind heart is another good find . Supporting cast have a huge role to play in the success of this movie. Especially the actress who enacts the Inspector’s wife role is brilliant . She makes the viewer hate her & the fact that people enjoy her getting killed is a testimony to her acting skill.

Coming to D.Iman’s music , it is one of the best album of his yet. “Mynaa mynaa manukulle” "Kaiya Pudi" "Neeyum Naanum" are soothing melodies which ringer in the ears for a long time. Background score except for a couple of instances where it is jarring is good overall.

Technically also the movie is brilliant as does all Prabhu Solomon’s movies so far. Sukumar’s cinematography is astounding & the manner in which his camera plays through the natural beauty of Moonar , Bodi & Theni , one is at loss of words. That he manages to present the human emotions & conflicts inspite of all the distractions he would have encountered in the rich backdrop speaks for his work & his talent.

“Mynaa” is a fulfilling movie watching experience after a very long time & every cent spent is worthwhile .

Bottomnline : “Mynaa ” , a charming nightingale ...!

4/5

Uthamaputhiran

My Review : Uthamaputhran



Dhanush-Mithran Jawahar duo has once again managed to vindicate why some movies are best left undisturbed rather than trying to remake it in another language & get it all wrong. After the horrendous remake of “Aarya” as “Kutty” , they have once again managed to do it again in this remake of one of the immensely successful Telugu movie “Ready” as “Uthamaputhran”. Atleast “Yaaradi Nee Mohini” was okay , may be because the director himself was an assistant director when the original was made.

Movie looks jaded , too long & tiring & a perfect example of too much anything is good for nothing. After a point one gets lost & even irritated with the same jokes played all over again & again. First half has nothing happening around while the second one is too long , slow & irritating after a point one begs for the movie to get over soon so that can come out have a fresh air. It getting suffocating after a point of time.

Dhanush needs to choose better subjects rather than trying to make remakes again & again , even after knowing how things can go horribly wrong as seen in “Kutty”. And when does he stops mouthing loads of dialogues which gets under the viewers nerves after a point.

Genelia sleep walks her role . Her lip sync is pathetic & she kinda getting typecast in similar roles.

Vivek tries his best to tickle the funny bones & he does succeeds to an extent but viewers can take only upto a point .

Movie is full of artists of all sizes & stature . Frames gets overcrowded which leaves one panting for breath.

Technically movie is average . Balasubramanyam is the cinematographer. Songs are not that interesting.

Screenplay is erratic with many loose ends & no lucidity whatsoever . Dialogues are trite & on the whole, the movie watching experience tiresome.

Bottomline : Simply not ready...!

2/5

Jackie

My Review: Jackie



Suri , after the immensely successful & critically acclaimed “Duniya” & not so successful “Junglee”, has joined hands with Puneeth Rajkumar for the first time. He once again proves the old adage “Form is temporary but the class is permanent” . “Jackie” is thoroughly enjoyable entertainer with all ingredients to make for a gratifying viewing . Not only action , comedy , romance , sentiment , suspense , message ....all you expect in a good masala pot pouri are there in palatable proportions , there is also a story to back it up.

Suri has once again proved that he is a master storyteller & a talented writer .The lucidness of the screenplay & witty dialogues are the strong points of “Jackie” . Hardly one can feel that 2hours & 30 mins has passed as the movie keeps one glued to the happenings right through. Nowhere does one feels that the movie is dragging or not interesting. Though there are a few logical loopholes here & there , Suri has camouflaged them with élan .

Ravi Kale’s character is not that well etched out as well does Bhavana’s. The character of the hero’s friend who gets killed in the encounter is also not properly dealt with , with loose ends kept hanging. & what is the role of Sampath Raj & his team is not properly explained. But the success of the director lies in that he doesn’t allow one to think about these aspects while one is in the theatre watching the movie.

Puneeth , dances like a dream , agile in the fight sequences & comes out unscathed in the comical situations too. When it comes to serious scenes he flounders a bit & has to work on it. His dialogue delivery is good with a good voice to boost.

Bhavana has nothing much to do but appear glamorous in the dream song sequences. One wonders how come a girl from such a humble background can wear such elegant & classy dresses she wears .

Rangayana Ragu is the real show-stealer with his witty dialogues he brings the roof down with laughter. In the scenes he is in all you can notice is only him with all others taking a back-seat.

Among the strong points of the movie , music is a prominent one. “Shiva Antha Hogutidde” & “Ekka Raja rani” are foot-tapping numbers ruling the charts . V. Harikrishna is the music director .

Award-winning cinematographer Satya Hegde is another major strong ally for Suri . His work is slick & trendy . No wonder he is highly regarded here in Karnataka film circle.

On the whole , Jackie is a good time-pass entertainer.

Bottomline :Bindaas...!

3.5 /5

Enthiran

My Review: Enthiran





Wait is over & here it is for all to see, Shankar’s dream project “Enthiran”, starring Rajnikanth & Aishwarya Rai. Movie is produced by Sun Pictures & music by A.R.Rahman & is billed to be the most expensive movie ever made in India. So naturally movie of such magnitude gets & has gotten everyone excited. Does all the hype & hoopla gets reflected in the end product is a different question altogether.

If you detach Rajnikanth & the amazing visual effects from the movie, with all its wretched writing & appalling screenplay it would have been easily the worst product from Shankar. Somehow the performer in Rajnikanth (he is amazing in the role of the Robot especially with the negative shades reminiscent of his memorable villainy of yesteryears) & the visual effects of the US-based Stan Winston Studios and Industrial Light & Magic seem to blind everyone of the many pedestrian aspects of the movie.

While watching the movie one gets resonating thoughts from one of Shankar’s own production “Arai En 305il kadavul”. Like how Shanthanam & kanja Karupu make use of the power of the almighty , here too Shankar seems to have done the same with the mighty money that has been invested in the movie. Especially the final 30 mins are freaking insane which sure gratifies juvenile instincts of the grown up kids.

Shankar needs to get all the accolades for making this movie happen in the first place. Notwithstanding the run of the mill script , he has shown the hard work , perseveration, imagination & moreover guts to conceive & create movie of this magnitude & making the world turn back & make notice of a Tamil movie. If only he had concentrated more on the script , then it would have made Indian film industry proud .

Rajnikanth is the prime reason why the movie is getting all the notice it is getting . It is a delight to watch him the role of the Robot with all the negative shades. One saw glimpses of that in “Chandramuki” but here he has satiated many people’s desire to see him a role with hard core villainy. Even at 60+ , the charisma he exudes on screen is unbelievable.

Aishwarya Rai looks radiant & dances well. Unlike in most of her movies here atleast she has done some amount of work albeit in showcasing his dancing skills. Otherwise she continues in her merry ways as far her acting skill is concerned.

Danny Denzongpa , Shanthanam & Karunas are all grossly underutilised.

A.R.Rahman’s music , which was proclaimed to be another main point of the movie , falls flat. No song has the quality that the previous one’s of the Shankar-Rahman combo had. Background score is at best mediocre.

Rathnavelu’s camera work is adequate. His efforts couple with that of the visual effects team make the viewing grand & in some instances jaw dropping.

Anthony’s editing is adequate overall but at times very ordinary especially the song sequences jumps out all of the sudden.

On the whole , “Enthiran” is a “Pizza made in Muniyandi vilas”

Bottomline : For the kid in you..

3/5

Boss (a) Baskaran

My Review : Boss (a) Baskaran





M.Rajesh has shown in his debut movie “SMS” that humour is his forte which he has reaffirmed in his second one too , “Boss (a) Baskaran” . It is a funny ride all through with no scope for boredom in between. Those who have liked “SMS” would definitely like this one too though it is not as fresh & as humorous as the former , it is good in its own way.


Its been long since one has ‘LOL’ed even though many movies which proclaimed to be a full length comedy came & went without whimper. It speaks a lot about the comic talent that the director M.Rajesh has for not many directors have ventured into comedy scripts on & on , that too successfully at that.


Story wise there is nothing novel to expect but the presentation laced with ample doses of humour does the trick. Shanthanam high jacks the movie single handedly with his witty humorous one-liners . M.Rajesh who used Shanthanam’s potential to the maximum in his previous movie too has once again done justice to the comedian’s talents. And to his credit Shanthanam has taken maximum advantage of the scope provided & he acquaints himself well.

Arya is good in a lighter role after loads of serious roles in the recent past. It is good to see macho Arya in such a down to earth role with lots of scope for comedy .


Nayanthara is good though her scope is limited she too does well in comedy parts.
Support cast includes Vijaylaksmi , Panchu Subbu , Chitra Laksmanan , Lakshmi Ramakrishnan , Rajendran & the rest provide fine support .


In Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music "Thathi Thaavum Paper Naan" , "Iyley Iyley" & "Yaar Antha Penthan" are delightful melodies. BGM score is average though.



Sakthi Saravanan has nothing much experimentation to do but prudently show the happenings to us through his lens in a diligent manner.


At 2 hours & 15 minutes , “Boss (a) Baskaran ” is a crisp comedy caper & good time pass . If you like Shanthanam brand of comedy , then it is Non-contest.

Bottomline : No-brainer for your lighter side ..

3.5 / 5

NAAN MAHAN ALLA

My Review: Naan Mahan Alla



Most of the directors whose debut movie is a hit try to take a conservative path by repeating the genre of their first movie in their second one also. This invariably ends up as a disaster while those who endeavour on an altogether different path would succeed more likely than not. Suseenthiran has taken the second path & the result is all for us to see “ Naan Mahan Alla” . After a lacklustre “Paiyya” this one has come as a refresher for Karthi.

All accolades for Suseendiran for he has improved leaps & bounds as far as story telling & effective use of visuals are concerned. Its been long since one has seen action sequences presented in such an aesthetic manner as in this movie. Director has succeeded in creating as much impact by not showing gore or violence explicitly which only substantiate the growth of him as a director. Movie is realistic and disturbing yet artistic which is a very difficult combo to accrue .

On the downside , Suseenthiran may well have avoided certain scenes & sequences which reminds one of “Pollathavan” & kudos that he has resisted the inclusion of meaningless duets & song sequences and also irritating comedy sequences.

He is amply supported by his troop headed by Mathi , the cinematographer . He has executed the vision of the director as visuals which is a sheer poetry onscreen.

Karthi is improving with each one of his movies & his choice of movies are amazing for a newcomer. But still he shows some amounts of “Paruthiveeran ” hangover in him especially in the action sequences & sentimental scenes.

Kajal Agarwal is just ornamental while Jayaprakash has improved a great deal in his histrionics. All those 5 youngsters in the anti roles are amazing in their enactment . Infact almost all the supporting cast are remarkable .

Kasi Vishwanathan’s editing is crisp while Baskar Sakthi’s dialogues are crisper & casual.

"Iragai Pole" in Yuvan Shankar Raja’s Music & voice is a blissful number while his BGM is awesome as ever.

On the whole , “Naan Mahan Alla ” is a promising movie from a promising youngster.

Bottomline : Must watch.

3.5/5

Thillalangadi

My Review : Thillalangadi



“Jayam ” brothers Ravi & Raja have always given remakes of telugu movies & each and every one of them used to be a good choice which went on to become hits. They have tried to keep their records straight this time too by remaking immensely successful Telugu movie “Kick”. But the law of averages tend to have caught up with them this time.

To begin with “Kick” is a bad choice to remake though it was a huge hit in Andhra the story line is very much confusing with a lots of loose ends untied. Whether the screenplay is to blamed or the editing , the final product is stale one with scenes ending abruptly & beginning hurriedly.

And nearly 3 hour is too long a length for a movie of this genre & after a point of time viewers get disinterested of the happenings in the movie. Comedy which was billed as one of the USPs of the movie falls flat . Both Vadivelu & Shanthnam fail to tickle the viewers.

“Jayam” Ravi looks smart in his new hair style . Either bad acting or poor characterisation or a combination of both , Ravi’s role is one of the most irritating one I have come across in the this year so far.

Tamannah fits the bill of the heroine with scope to do some comedy which she does amply. Her footwork has also improved immensely as her lip sync.

Shaam is adequate while other supporting actors ham their level best to make it a aural torture which is further aggravated by the background score of Thaman.

"Sol Pechu" is perhaps the only song which stands both in the picturization & music is concerned. It is a delight to watch multiple Ravi’s & Thamannah’s dancing around. Novel concept & well conceived.

Rajasekhar’s cinematography is excellent in the chase sequences & action scenarios.

“Jayam” Raja has miscalculated this time perhaps for the first time. Lets wait & watch what he does with his first “original” feature film next.

On the whole , “Thillalangadi” is a easy route for a severe headache.

Bottomline : Sicko Sick...!

2/5