AMBULI

My review : Ambuli



The first ever-stereoscopic 3D film in Tamil cinema “Ambuli” written & directed by Hari Shankar and Hareesh Narayan is an impressive attempt. In spite of all the limitations & constraints, the duo has done a neat job in creating the 3D effect on par any other 3D movie that we have across. The technical crew have done great deal of hard work in creating the spectacle on screen .

But technical brilliance alone would not ensure a good cinema; it should have a backing of a solid story & seamless screenplay which “Ambuli” sure has. The makers have tried the “Shyamalanisque” technique of generating suspense & shock by not revealing the perpetuator of horror for most part of the film. The mysterious & unknown terror provokes more anxiety & fear than when it gets revealed seems to be the viewpoint behind the screenplay which works wonder in creating what it intends to.

No point in the two and half hours of the movie’s running time does one feel bored or disengaged from the movie’s story. Enough twists & turns, mysteries & thrills provide the viewers sufficient entertainment.

Parthiban is dependable as ever in his cameo while all the other newcomers in the cast Ajai ,Srijith , Sanam, Jothisa who play the lead foursome are sincere in their efforts . Only aberration is the amounts of make-up the leading ladies have indulged in, even while they are supposed to sleep...! Jagan has a substantial role moving away from his comfort zone & he does a good job at it. Veterans like Thambi Ramaiah , Uma Riyaz , Kalairani , Balasingh do what is expected of them.

G.Satish is the real hero of the movie. His hard work in handling the cinematography in the stereoscopic format pays dividend on screen. It is an astonishing feat by him providing the viewers with quality & flawless 3D motion picture with such limited resources.

Background score by Venkat Prabhu Sankar succeeds in creating the shocks & thrills wherever it is needed. The songs composed by 4 music directors are not that impressive.

On the whole, “Ambuli” deserves viewing in theatre equipped with 3D projection not only to enjoy the experience of it but also to encourage the talented team for it’s out of box thinking, hard work & flawless execution.

Bottomline: “Shyamalanisque”

3.5/5

Kadhalil Sodhapuvathu Eppadi

My review : Kadhalil Sodhapuvathu Eppadi



“Kathalil Sodhapuvathu Yeppadi” (KSY) is as pleasant & heart-warming as the short film of the same name on which this movie is based on made by the same director Balaji Mohan. How to mess up in love is a pertinent question for many youngsters today & the writer-director has tried to find answer in a pragmatic way in his debut feature film. Movie has many incidents which might ring a bell in most of us , those who are in love , those who were in love & would interest also who might fall in love. This alone in enough for it to turn eye balls towards it & create waves in the Box-office.

The narrative style is so fresh which strikes a chord with audience right away. Almost all the scenes from the short film are re-enacted here as well with the same amounts of finesse & charm. The casual way of telling the story coupled with plenty of witty scenes makes the screenplay work. Though there are instances where one might feel the screenplay is trying to meander away from the course & in couple other it does lags a bit, these are only minor deviations on the largely smooth & lucid screenplay.

Dialogues are witty & intelligent at the same time sound so casual. Balaji should be lauded for this because it is very difficult to write lines on this subject without trying to be preachy. Except for couple of instances towards the end where some dialogues get monotonous, on the whole dialogues are too good & enjoyable.

Casting & performances of the cast is also faultless . Siddarth fits in perfectly in the role of the engineering student who falters repeatedly in love . Amala Paul has also acted well in the role of the temperamental lover girl though one still might wish Regina who did the short film could have been retained. Arjun is damn hilarious with his timing as well as in his demeanour. Vignesh , Pooja , Suresh , Ravi Raghavender , Shyam & Balaji does neat supporting jobs.

Nirav Shah has tried something new this time. He has managed to bring in the short-filmish flavour but at the same time not stooping down to the level of amateurishness of the short-films.

In Thaman’s music “Parvathy, Parvathy” is delightful dance number while “Azhaipaya azhaipaya” is a nice melody as does “Thavarugal Unargirom” . Background score is also done with the flavour of the movie in mind & has come out well.

Balaji Mohan is a promising find for Tamil cinema while KSY would finally launch Siddarth in Tamil Cinema & for Amala Paul , she continues with her merry ways in the Box-office.

On the whole , “KSY” is a perfect outing for the Valentine season.

Bottomline : Thoroughly enjoyable

3.5/5

Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal

My Review : Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal

Lot was expected from the movie “ Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal”(MUK) , especially following stupendous response to the music album. But the movie lacks purpose , meanders aimlessly here & there , leaves the viewer exasperated.In medical parlance there is an entity called “Formal Thought Disorder” inwhich the thought process is affected as a result of which there will not be any link between the train of thoughts that arises from the person’s mind. MUK is a classic example of it.

Script is like a pack of noodles , no one knows where it starts & where it ends with lots of loose , untenable knots. The writer seem to have written the script in a dizzy or might have collected scene from numerous sources but unable to sort it out in an unambiguous pattern. At the interval point the movie does have an attention-grabbing twist but right in the first reel after the break it evaporates with laughable revelation.

As with most of the Tamil movies the psychiatric aspect of the story is not just laughable but absurd to say the least. And why the hell are the psychiatrists in Tamil movies always trying to treat a psychotic patient in

a roundabout ridiculous manner when all he has to do is prescribe him a good dosage of anti-psychotic medication.

Not only the script is bad , direction is worse. All through the first half one can’t help the feeling of watching an amateur television serial. Lackadaisical editing further dampens the movie’s flow.

The lead pair Atharva & Amala Paul manage to stand out despite all this with their sincere efforts. They do ooze sparkling chemistry in many scenes. Atharva is good in dance as well as stunts. Amala Paul resembles Priyanka Chopra in certain angles.

Jayaprakash does a decent job , especially in couple of scenes he gets to mouth one or two interesting one-liners. Shanthanam again scores with his timing sense though his portions are few & far in between.

The main reason why many would have ventured into theatres to watch this movie & would do so is for its songs. All the songs are already chartbusters. “Oru murai” , “Oh Sunandha” , “Yaar Aval Yaaro” are very tastefully done melodies (albeit the inspirations..!) while “Sokkuposi pottale” is a delightful dance number. The song picturisation however is disappointing , very routine & monotonous.

Shakthi’s cinematography offers some solace to the proceedings & movie is also technically well made but where it shortfalls is in the content.

On the whole , MUK is a very tiring & carelessly made movie , if you want to spend a romantic outing with your loved one then certainly avoid this.

Bottomline: Lackadaisical fare

2/5

Good Night I Good Morning

My Review : Good Night / Good Morning



Sudhish Kamath’s “Good Night I Good Morning” is a novel yet interesting watch. It involves loads of hard work & intelligence to write a script like this based a telephonic conversation between two strangers on the New Year night. And the more difficult part is to keep the viewers interested over 80 minutes not giving any scope for boredom. In this type of screenplay boredom is inevitable to strike the viewers but Sudhish Kamath intelligently uses some funny, some poignant & some hard hitting interludes which prevents the viewers from having a monotonous feel to it.

As with any good cinema writing is excellent. Movie is basically a conversation between two strangers who at the outset are still clinging onto their extended grief of loss of their respective relationships. And over the course of the conversation how they let go off their angst and get on with their lives , almost. Sudhish Kamath & Shilpa Rathnam’s writing is what makes this movie a fulfilling experience. Dialogues are amazingly well written with lots of lines which sure to bring out a smile or two as well as some which moves one.

The spontaneity of the actors is one of the strongest points of the movie. Manu Narayan & Seema Rahmani have lived the characters, make the viewers empathize with them , travel with them through their past & the present as well look at the future with expectation. Especially the last twist in the tale would sure bring in joyous exuberance in the viewers.

Nischalakrishna Vittalanathan’s cinematography brings the story in close proximity to the viewers. The style of cinematography sucks in the viewers into the car the male protagonist is travelling & the hotel room in which the female lead is staying. This gives a personal feel to the viewers which further enhance the impact .

The success of the movie lies in the impact the movie has on the viewers which is extremely difficult to create, which Sudhish Kamath, the director has accomplished. It is one of the most unique, creative & artistic movie that has been made in the recent times by an Indian film-maker which warrants more eyeballs as well as accolades.

On the whole, “Good Night I Good Morning” is a gratifying experience for the movie lover in you.

Bottomline : Ingenious

4/5

Dhoni

My review : Dhoni



Prakash Raj is one of the most versatile actor in the country & his Duet Movies have always strived to give meaningful cinema. After his debut as director in Kannada , Prakash Raj has wielded the megaphone for the first time in Tamil with “Dhoni” , a movie based on critically acclaimed Marathi movie “Shikshanacha Aaicha Gho ”.

Movie deals with the faults in the educational system & how parents should not pressurize their children, should allow them pursue their passion. Just a month back another Tamil movie with similar theme got released to grand reception , “Nanban”. Though the theme is the same , here the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

“Dhoni” is a classic example of however noble the intentions may be , if the execution is faulty than the message that the makers want to drive home gets lost. There are moments of brilliance , but they are few & far in between getting immersed in the sea of mediocrity. Not only the execution is faulty , screenplay is sluggish , cinematic , melodramatic with over the top scenes bordering on ludicrousness.

Acting also is very average with either actors going over the top or inadequate. Prakash Raj goes overboard in many sequences leaving one wondering what happened to the subtle actor one has witnessed in movies like “Abhiyum Naanum” , “Mozhi” , “Azhagiya Theeye”. Radhika Apte is the only one who seem to have acted with restrain while all the others with even the seasoned actors like Nasser , Bramanandham , Tanikella Bharani going over the top in many places. Akash plays Prakash Raj’s son doesn’t seem to know much about acting.

Ilayaraja’s background score is what which keeps the viewer seated. Once again the man proves why he is still the best when it comes to background score. Songs however doesn’t seem to sink in with the narration.

K.V.Guhan’s cinematography is adequate while Kishore must have been more astute with his editing.

Dialogues are good in parts , especially the witty one-liners reminds one of Radhamohan’s movies. But towards the end the dialogues become too preachy & repetitive which may test the patience of the viewers.

On the whole , “Dhoni” is plagued by poor direction , sluggish screenplay & boring melodrama.

Bottomline : Out of form

2/5

Vettai

My review : Vettai



Many times hand cooked dinner made of readymade recipe with minimal effort would taste better than carefully made exotic feast. Lingusamy has just managed to do the former with his latest offering “Vettai”. With minimal fuss & readymade formula , he has given a engaging & fast-paced movie which is enjoyable.

Instead of breaking his head in searching for inspirations from European or Asian movies, he has made a script based on Bhagyaraj’s successful movie if the yore “Avasara police 100”. Taking the basic premise from that movie he has woven over it a racy script with flashes of intelligence here & there. He has managed to keep the viewer engaged for the whole length of the movie leaving no scope to complain.

Aarya has nothing much to do as far as acting is concerned , all he has to do is flex his muscles in numerous action sequences & shake his legs in the dance sequences. Madhavan has more scope to perform as a gullible elder brother who becomes a police inspector & who gets name and fame due to the actions of his younger brother. However it is rather shocking to see this once charming chocolate boy hero who has become so flabby that it looks quite uncomfortable when he tries to dance or perform action sequences.

Both the heroines don’t have much in terms of screen space. Amala Paul is cutie pie while Sameera Reddy is chilly Bajji.

Ashutosh Rana comes in a routine villain character ably aided by “Thalaivasal ” Vijay’s dubbing. Nasser’s is a confusing character , what is the relevance of his character to the main story & his mannerisms leaves a lot to be desired.

Yuvan Shankar Raja’s Music is below average , only “Papparapa” song managed to get the attention of the viewers.

Nirav Shah does a okay job. Wonder what happened to the once talented cinematographer.

Brinda Sarathy’s dialogues are sharp & witty , able to bring out a comical vein throughout the narration.

Lingusamy is back to his best on the lines of “Run” & “Sandakozhi” after slip-ups in his previous couple of movies.

On the whole, “Vettai” is a racy masala entertainer without much logic or novelty.

Bottomline : Tasty

3.5/5

Nanban

The thing with remakes is that however nice the remake is one will always compare each & every frame of the movie with the original which will definitely distract the person from enjoying the movie. One exception for it was “Ghilli” but that was once in a lifetime occurrence. “3 Idiots” was such a flawless movie with a great cast & superb direction that when it was announced that Shankar was going to remake it in Tamil, many might have had apprehensions in their minds about how it might turn out.

Considering the current crop of young stars in Tamil cinema the three chosen to reprise the roles of Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi & Madhavan were the best of the lot. And they have done justice too.

Shankar’s remake of “3 Idiots” , “Nanban” is a very well done remake with certain punches added to suit the Tamil audience.It is new terrain for Shankar remaking a movie but he has done a good job of it. There are trademark Shankarisms here & there but overall he has remained faithful to the original. Though the overrated extravagance of Shankar is not there in this movie , the content is far better than most of his previous movies. And along with Karky , Shankar shines in dialogues too. There was always a doubt as to how he is going to fill the void left by Sujatha but in Karky he has found a very good ally. Dialogues are witty , informative (I don’t know how many of the viewers knew about “Jamais vu ”before), touching with typical sarcasm of Shankar movies here & there.

Vijay has underplayed a great deal & it has done wonders. In the initial parts he does reminds one of Aamir Khan but as the movie unfolds he sparkles. Be it in the comical situations or in sentimental parts , he shows one & all what we have been missing over the past few years. Wish he chooses many roles like this which gives scope for showcasing his acting skills. He rocks in the hospital sequences especially when Jiiva starts responding and in the delivery sequence just after the baby gets resuscitated. His dialogues delivery has improved a great deal & here one can see a great deal of maturity in his voice.

Jiiva has done a good supporting part & his oneliners are hilarious to the hilt. He has lots of witty ones to mouth. In the sequence in the classroom where he does an “induction engine” he brings down the roof.

Srikanth has tried hard & comes out unscathed. As a narrator of the story his voice is soothing.

Sathyaraj has done what Boman Irani did in the original mimicking most of his mannerisms. He also hams a bit but overall it is a decent performance from the veteran after a very long time.

This movie will be a turning point in Sathyan’s career for sure. When the cast was announced his part was the one which came in for a great deal of criticism with many doubting his capabilities but he has proven everyone wrong. As the irritatingly haughty “Silencer” he has performed well. It is definitely his career best so far.

Ileana has nothing much to do not that she promises much in the acting department. Andrea’s voice somehow elevates her presence in the movie.

S.J.Suryah & Anuya are adequate while Vasanth Vijay is miscast.

Harris Jayaraj’s songs are already chartbusters. “Aska laska” , “En nanban pola yaru macha” & “Heartile battery ” are enjoyable numbers. His Background score is way better than many of his recent movies.

Manoj Paramahamsa’s cinematography is awesome. If there is anything that outscores the original then it must be the cinematography. Welldone Manoj.

On the downside , “Irukana illayana” song is misfit & stands out like a sore thumb. Songs picturization are ordinary compared to Shankar’s earlier ones. (Trend started with Enthiran though) Why in the south Indian marriage everyone in wearing a turban????

Though the movie is 3 hours & more , one doesn’t get the feeling of dragging anytime. That the movie manages to keep one engaged & involved over a period of more than 3 hours is in itself a great achievement by Shankar. There are many minute interesting details that have gone into the movie. Vijay mouthing “Time up sir...... time up , time up” like “Thagadu thagadu ” to Satyaraj , Ileana’s “things like that will happen only in Shankar’s movie graphics” are a few which readily crops up.

The movie makes you laugh out loud, smile silently , cry as well as make you introspect in what you are doing with your life. That the whole auditorium was applauding vociferously not when the hero bashes up & terminates all the rowdies, not when the hero eradicates corruption from the country , not when the hero gets away with the heist , not when he mouth jingoistic preaching about honest or Tamil identity , but when it is announced that the Hero is the best outgoing student gives a hint or two about the success of the script as well the execution which enabled it translate precisely on the screen.

On the whole, “Nanban” is a feel good entertainer with a pertinent message that will be lapped up by the family audience as well the student community in this festive season.

Bottomline : All is well...!

4/5