Nadunissi Naaygal

My review :Nadunissi Naaygal





The pack may be glossy, state of the art, wonderfully coloured, attracting to the eyes, produced with aid of latest of technologies. But in the end of the day if the pack contains only poison, then what is the use of making the pack so sleek & lustrous , never mind the statuary warning written in an illegible font in one corner of the pack. That sums up Gautham Vasudev Menon’s latest offering “Nadunissi Naaygal ” .

Technically the movie is on par with the best of bests. Right from the first shots of the movie it is clear that technical team of the movie has done a fabulous job of it. Manoj Paramahamsa’s cinematography is top notch , especially the colouring & the gloss as well some of the novel camera angles he has tried , awesome is the word. Art direction & DI of the movie makes the movie watching experience grand.

If only Gautham Vasudev Menon , the writer has thought of something novel & new , the end product would have been one of the best done in the country. On the contrary by taking recourse in to the old sadistic thrillers of the yore & joining the bandwagon of portraying the mentally ill persons as dangerous & psychopathic, Gautham has done no good for those who are working tirelessly for to alleviate the stigma associated with mentally ill & mental illness. The disclaimer in the end does no good as enough harm has been done already.

As far as acting goes except Sameera Reddy who has done a decent job as the damsel in distress , amateurishness is writ large as far as the rest of the cast are concerned. It is as if the other actors were given old “psycho” movies for them to rehearse before they started filming the movie.

Veera tries to imitate all those cult psychologically challenged roles like that of Kamal Hassan of “Sivapu Rojakkal ” , Pratap Pothan of “Moodupani” , Dhanush of “Kadhal Kondaen” , Simbu of “Manmadhan”...so on. Swapna who plays the caretaker & godmother of the protagonist , is graceful in her normal avatar but suddenly turns hopelessly out of place in her other role of the instigator.

That Gautham has managed to keep up with the thrills sans background music is a laudable achievement in itself & his courage and gumption in this regard warrant a standing ovation. Also as far as the screenplay goes , movie is lucid & travels at an optimum pace with no place for yawn in between.

The problem with the movie is the content & hence it doesn’t stand a chance in the box-office because it right away shoos away family audience as well as female audience. And finally anyone who compares this movie with “Sivappu Rojakkal” must be despised with cause it was done aesthetically which is what missing here in “ Nadunissi Naaygal”.

On the whole , “Nadunissi Naaygal” is technically brilliant but thematically appalling.

Bottomline : For your sadistic pleasure...!

2.5/5

Thambikottai

My Review : Thambikottai



The opening scene in which the brother of one of the city’s most dangerous rowdies teases newly joined lecturer (!) in a filthy language. It is followed by 2 minutes full of punch dialogue mouthed by the lecturer eulogising the hero who incidentally is the brother of the lecturer . Next shot a pulsar bikes pounces on one of the villan’s henchmen & the hero enter into the scene in a ritualistic manner camera panning from the leg upwards..! “Poduvaga enmanasu thangam” resonating in the background as the hero takes on the villan & his gangs...!!!

Uff...! “Thambikottai” is a routine masala caper without anything new whatsoever. Movie is debut for the director Ammu Ramesh who has taken it in a ritualistic fashion Tamil Cinema for the last 75 years has got used to. In the days of “Aadukalam” , “Yutham Sei” & “Payanam” where the directors have tried to think out of the box , Ammu Ramesh has strictly stuck onto a story as old as hills.

One wonders what made Naren choose this subject considering the time he has taken (or wasted) in such a banal attempt. He does his part well but there is nothing novel to take notice of.

Poonam Bajwa in a strictly proverbial role heroines of Tamil Cinema have got used to ,has done her job well.

Shanthanam has done a good job as ever. He is the only solace for the viewers & he keeps the movie in good humour.

Sangetha hams as does Rajenendran while Prabhu & Meena aquaints themselves well.

D.Iman’s music is nothing to take note of while Cinematography by Kannan is supportive to the director.

Ammu Ramesh tried to play it safe in his first movie. Though he shows flashes of promise in comedy sequences , he needs to work a lot in as far as screenplay & novelty are concerned .

On the whole , “Thambikottai” is a hackneyed , prosaic ,mundane , pedestrian , clichéd , trite....what not.

Bottomline : AVOID..!

1.5/5

Payanam

My Review : Payanam




Radha Mohan has tried to travel in the unfamiliar terrains for the first time in “Payanam” which is an action thriller whilst his previous 3 movies were feel good family entertainers. It is refreshing that the director has tried to break away from the mould but that he is clearly uncomfortable in handling an action subject with elan shows.

Movie though set in an novel backdrop & managed to do away with the routine hero-heroine pattern as well as songs , the backdrop gets tiring after a while. Agreed it is a very difficult job to sustain the interest of the viewers in such kind of subject , RadhaMohan could have thought something out of the box rather than taking recourse to his trademark comical oneliners which doesn’t gel well with the movie of this genre.

Movie has an artificiality writ large all over it & in some places the happening borders on a stage drama like. Though they have tried hard to showcase the production values as high as possible unfortunately the averageness of it comes out . Though the director manages to pump in the adrenaline here & there , they are very few to warrant any significance. Also the recourse to melodrama , contrived nationalistic jingoism & comedy in the most unwarranted of sequences makes “Payanam” a very average travel.

As far as the ensemble cast goes Nagarjuna , Prakashraj , M.S.Baskar , Kumaravel , Chaams shines in their roles . Others in the cast are adequate though those who play the terrorist hams & overacts.

Background score of Praveen Mani hurts the viewers ear drums. It’s a very average work by the Musician , may be Radha should have stuck on with Vidhyasagar one more time.

K.V.Guhan’s cinematography is good & manages to infuse frenzy into the happenings.

On the whole , “Payanam” is a strictly average offering from the makers of such remarkable movies like “Azhagiya Theeye ” , “Mozhi” & “Abhiyum Naanum”.

Bottomline: an arduous journey...!

2.5/5

Yutham Sei

My Review : Yutham Sei



“ Yudham Sei “ is yet another thriller from Myshkin presented in a lyrical manner. Myshkin seems to have mastered the act of presenting an action-thriller in a poetic style which did with elan in “Anjathey” . Though the movie has the “Anjathey ” hangover all through , “Yutham Sei” keeps one at the edge of the seat right from the scene one to the last. Though the screenplay is slow paced , Myshkin succeeds in weaving a storyline which engages the viewer glued to the screen all through.

The basic plot is strikingly similar to that of Sasikumar’s latest dud “Eesan” .The basic difference is the clarity of thought & purpose shown by Myshkin which was totally lacking in the former which led to its downfall.The background research is thorough & almost all the medical jargon mouthed in the movie is authentic & to the point .The manner in which director has managed to showcase reality is awesome though some sequences may be off-putting for many.

Myskhin has once again done away with the structuralistic model of Tamil cinema in that there is a protagonist who is not that all powerful but has his own shares of vulnerabilities & greyishness. There is no heroine or a comedian as such as well as there is no duets or romantic angles.This clarity of purpose that the director has shown coupled with courage shown by the producers in supporting that purpose has culminated into such a thoroughly enjoyable movie for the movie buffs.

One scene worth mentioning among many is that fight sequences in which Cheran takes on the assassins with just a nail-cutter.This will go on as one of the best action sequence of Indian cinema history.

One can only see the policeman J.K onscreen not actor Cheran which is in itself speaks volumes of the manner in which he has acquainted well with the character. Almost every other character is well casted & the actors have done credibly well. Be it Selva , Y.G.Mahendra , Lakshmi Ramakrishna , Jayaprakash , Manickam Vianayagam or the new comer Dipa Shah & many other unknown artists , the whole cast has performed exceedingly well.

Cinematography by Satya is another brawny point why this movie is a must watch. He has strictly followed Myshkin style of film making .The numerous low angle shots as well as the slow-motion shots which has become a signature style of Myskin is abound here too. Can’t help the thought that the low angle shots may be a bit overdone here .

Music is by K , which again has the typical Myshkin tough all through. Basically who ever the music director may be the background score of all Myshkin movies follow the same pattern. More so that invariably the dialogues are bare minimum & the music has to fill-in in most of the places which it does commendably.

To sum it up , “Yutham Sei ” is yet another movie from Myshkin which will make Tamil Cinema proud among the larger audience .Though he seems to have got trapped in to his own stereotypical mould , the end product is still worthy . May be he should try to break from the mould of his in the future , else his movies make become hackneyed .

Bottomline : Commendable.

4/5

Kavalan

My Review : Kavalan



Vijay is back to his vintage best in his latest flick “Kavalan” which has finally hit theatres after many hurdles. Movie is faithful to its original “The Bodyguard” which was a hit last year in Kerala directed by the same director , Siddique. This is the second one from the director-actor combo after the immensely successful “Friends”. Though they were not able to recreate the magic of the former , “Kavalan” is better than most recent few movies of Vijay.

“Kavalan ” is a reminiscence of those golden days of Vijay in the mid & late 90’s with many such romantic movies of his which made him the most popular up & coming hero of those days. Seeing Vijay trying to change his track of sorts is in itself quite refreshing for Tamil Cinema needs heroes of his stature & charisma to be around to bring in the variety . Hope that he is not pulled into the muddle of politics & lost forever to Cinema.

“Kavalan ” as a movie is not a path-breaking , artistic movie which can be classified as a classic. It has its share of downers like the patchy screenplay , poor editing with poor song placement , very average making , gimmickry in the form of stunts. Yet it is a refreshing simple romantic tale with the last 30 minutes of the movie having one of the best twists we have seen in the last few years.

First half has a meandering screenplay which is very wobbly & patchy with the comical duo of Vijay-Vadivelu providing the succour to the viewers in the otherwise below average half. The second half is where the movie’s screenplay picks up steam & tightens leading onto a good finale. Its been a long time since the days of “Kadhalukku Mariyadhai” or “Thullatha Manamum Thullum” that a Vijay movie has such a poetic ending.

Vijay is good as ever showcasing his all-round talents be it in emotional sequences or comedy . He has tried to underplay with certain sequences not in keeping with his mass hero image & its the way forward for him. He dances like a dream & agile in action sequences. His combination with Vadivelu is rip-roaring & they bring the roof down with their comedy.

Asin looks jaded & disinterested in the movie though she is as chirpy & ravishing as ever in the song sequences. Mithra as the other heroine is adequate.

Rajkiran’s character though bereft with confusion , his portrayal of the role is blemish-less. Roja , M.S.Baskar , Lingstone , Neepa , Bakru in the supporting cast don’t have much to do.

Vadivelu is good once again with his combination with Vijay after their immensely successful “Friends” , “Vaseegara” & “Sachein”.

Movie is technically not that great infact very average in that aspect. Ekambaram is the cinematographer & it is a far cry from some of his earlier works.

In Vidhyasagar’s music “Yaarathu” , “Pattampoochi” & “Sada sada” are delightful melodies while “Step Step Step it up” is a foot tapping number. It’s been a very long time since a Vijay movie without a “kuthu” number . Background score is patchy with good work in between largely average work.

On the whole , “Kavalan” is a perfect decent family entertainer sans any violence or gore or vulgarity. Coming in the background of string of box-office duds “Kavalan” may help Vijay salvage some pride in the B-O.

If you are a fan of vintage romantic Vijay of the yore , then “Kavalan” is your pick.

Bottomline : Vintage Vijay..

3.5/5.

Manmadhan Ambu

My Review : Manmadhan Ambu



The master story teller is back this time with a romantic comedy drama “Manmadhan Ambu” (short for “Man”nar , “Madan”agopal , “Ambu”jakshi ) . The manner in which screenplay is etched out lucidly with each & every details propounding a meaning in itself which comes out neatly & effortlessly is in itself a treat for cinema lovers.

The dialogues are crisp , intelligent & razor sharp & Kamalhassan has played with the language be it Tamil or English. “Intha ulaguthula nermaya irukaravangalukku thimiru than sir veliye..” , “Matrimony was lousy , but alimony was superb ” are just two of many such genius writing. The scene in which the lead pair exchange with their poems is not only a great piece of cinema in recent times it also evokes nostalgic memory of such a sequence in one of yesteryear Kamalhassan movie “Varumai Niram Sivappu” -“Chippi irukuthu muthum irukuthu”.

Story is nothing new but the treatment Kamalhassan has given is different with many characters whom one may think not related to the story comes to their own as the story unfolds. The way in which romance , drama , sentiments & not the least of them all comedy are blended into the story makes it a healthy cocktail refreshing your tired mind. And the last 30 minutes is one of the most rip-roaring hilarious sequence Tamil cinema has seen in recent times. Look out for the way in which the words are just played with & the “ crazy” Mohan influence is all for one to see.

KamalHaasan has not only excelled in these mentioned three departments of the movie , he is gracious enough to give a more challenging & more attractive role to Madhavan & let his role do the underplaying. Movie has nothing much to showcase the acting talents in him , however in couple of instances he shows us why he is regarded as the most talented actor the country has ever produced. The sequence in which Trisha reveals the truth about the accident is the just an example. All there was glimpses of his suave stylishness in couple of instances like when he rearranges the fallen garbage can , put his mobile into his pocket & the initial steps of the “"Dhagudu Dhattham" song.

Madhavan has the plump role in the movie & boy he has utilised it to the max. He steals the show & this will be one of his career best performances. He looked absolutely confident in his role & the manner in which he effortlessly managed to bring out those slapstick acts of his were commendable. His dialogue delivery has grown leaps & bounds & it was a carnival seeing him perform his role in this movie. Trisha has also done her part well & “act”ed this time after she started doing so in “VTV”. Her dialogue delivery was also good especially the confidence in which she has mouthed those poetic lines were praiseworthy.

Sangeetha is yet another performer , who has done a good supporting job. Though initially her role irritated a bit , she more than makes up for it in the last 30 minutes or so. Others like Kunjan , Manju Pillai , Urvashi , Ramesh Arvind also have done well.

Music by Devi Sri Prasad is good. "Neela Vaanam" is a good melody while "Who's The Hero" & "Dhagudu Dhattham" are foot tapping numbers. BGM was also fine , no qualms.

Manush Nandan’s cinematography aids in the travel of the story without undue gimmickry.

K.S.Ravikumar is the director who has helped his bit in bringing out the final product.

On the whole, initially though the pace is sluggish , after “Dhagudu Dhattham ” the movie picks up the pace building up expectation in the interval slot & after which it again reaches a plateau then really taking off in the final 30 minutes.

Bottomline : Pleasant..!

3.5 / 5

Eesan

My review : Eesan



After his glorious run in BO as the director, producer, actor , M.Sasikumar’s second venture as director is “Eesan” . Kudos for trying out a different genre this time not playing it safe in stick on to same genre which reaped rewards like most directors with successful first attempt tries to do. Thinking is good but the end result is not.

Movie is full of clichés. Corrupt politician, politician’s rouge son & his gang of corny friends, crooked policemen & one who tries to be honest among them, innocent girl from village coming to city to study along with naive dad & brother , rape that ensues & revenge...! Even the melodious family song showing the innocence of the family & village life...how many movies had such song right from “Pachai kiligal ” from “Indian”. The clichés which are abound is the major impediment to enjoyment & the amateurishness of the actors exacerbate it.

Screenplay is also very loose & looses focus over and over again . First half has nothing to offer except the scenes in pubs & the political cat and mouse game , every alternate scene , makes it tiresome . At the interval point however director manages to make the viewers sit up with anticipation & manages to keep up with it for some 15 to 20 minutes but once the identity of the mystery man is revealed it is followed by yet another stack of clichés.

The amount of violence in the movie is off-putting & unnecessary. May be Sasikumar must learn a thing or two from people like Mysskin as to how to create the same impact without showing much of blood & gore. And the lengthy rape sequence may also need urgent trimming.

The visual mastery he showed in his first movie is sorely missed here. Also the clarity of the story & screenplay as well as the novelty which all made “Subramanyapuram” a hit with both the critics & the masses are greatly missing here. Only novelty that one can come across in “Eesan ” is that Sasikumar has done away with the structuralism associated with Tamil cinema in the form of doing away with hero-heroine-villan-comedian stereotypes. Here there is no hero or heroine or villain. Everyone has some shades of grey & vulnerabilities which lead them into becoming a victim of the circumstances.

Coming to acting , except a very few , amateurishness is writ large on almost every other actors. This seriously prevents the viewers from getting the kind of impact the movie of this sort would have otherwise created.

Music is nothing much to write about thought the BGM is supportive to the story & adequate.

Kathir’s cinematography is an asset to the movie while Raja Mohammad has tried some innovative editing style which is catchy & trendy.

On the whole , “Eesan ” is violent , cliché-ridden, boring .

Bottomline : below - average

2/5