Silambattam

My Review:Silambattam

Cinematographer Saravanan's directorial debut "Silambattam" promised a lot but has failed to deliver what it set out to.Silambarasan time & again proves that he is yet to learn from past mistakes.In the time when even the most established of stars find it tough to carry a movie with a bad script on their shoulder ,kiddo like him must be careful in choosing movie that suits his age & his standing among the audience.

Movie has nothing novel to offer . First half is ridiculous where nothing happens except some inane comedy , vulgar dialogues & couple of songs which showcase Simbu's gymnastic talents as well the ample dose of heroine's anatomy.The saving grace for the movie comes in the form of the flashback which is the only redeeming part. After which the movie goes into "Lollu Sabha " mould & Simbu taking potshots at some of his adversaries (inadvertently at his self proclaimed gurus too... ).

Plot: the grand old revenge story of son settling score for his father's murder .

Silambarasan: He has given what all he has got .He emotes ,dances , sings , fights, cries,romances ,imitates , mouths punch dialogues, ........what else do you expect from a hero .Of the two characters ,Tamizh succeeds in creating an impression .He must take care not to imitate Rajni in action sequences & Vijay in Comedy sequences.

Sana Khan :She has a sizzling debut .Her role is a beaten to bushes heroine role - orthodox , pavadai thavani clad Brahmin girl who breaks free in the "dream " song sequences. (right from Jayalalitha, Latha,Mannjula....we have accustomed to it )One must congratulate the effort she has taken to lip sinc for the tamil dialogues though.

Sneha : Another cliche of a role who gives her all for the sake of her man including half her chromosomes even before marriage.

Kishore : He is becoming type cast in the role of a menacing ruthless villan.

Prabhu : sorry for him being reduced to do such a pathetic role.

Santhanam : His worst till date.

Music of Yuvan is the one which brought the crowds in the first place & keeps them inside once the movie rolls on.He has given a rocking album which has been made good use of by the director.

Madhi's cinematography is another aspect which warrants mention .He has proved that he can do justice to commercial masalas too.

Don Max's editing adds gloss to the songs .

Saravanan shows his potential in those flashback sequences but seems to have lost it as far as the rest of the movie goes.

bottomline: Simbu's search for a hit continues.....

2/5

Thiruvannamalai

My Review: Thiruvannamalai

" Thiruvannamalai " is better than Arjun's previous attempt "Dhurai " & far better than Perarasu's previous two - "Dharmapuri " and "Pazhani". Perarasu continues with his action formula here too but devoid of lousy romantic scenes , crude comedy and over the top sentiments which are characteristic of his movies .Though he has tried to attempt differently here , he has miles to go to traverse a altogether new path. The first half is very ordinary which is nothing but rehash of all his movies so far but the movie takes an interesting turn mid way after the introduction of the second Arjun & sustains the interest for a while before petering out into routine mundane self in the last half an hour.

Plot: Which ideology is better suited to fight the evils of the society of today - Ahimsha or violence.

Arjun: He has done well in the character of Guruji where his talents for histrionics comes to the fore though the other character is the routine masala action hero bashing up the baddies & shaking the legs with heroine in dream songs.

Pooja Gandhi: After a credible debut in " Kokki " , this is her second one in tamil but she has nothing much to do which is what one can expect in a Perarasu movie.

Saikumar: He does the pea-headed , hamming , evil politician part in this movie too . Nothing special to note.

Among supporting cast Karunas has done a good job in a character role having a tragic end .Others like Sudha , Meenal , Saravana Subbaih (director of "Citizen") have noteworthy roles.

Padmesh's cinematography hurts the eyes especially in the action sequences.

Jaisankar has edited the movie in such a manner that the pace is maintained through out.

Srikanth deva has nothing new to offer.

Perarasu seems to have identified his constituency & tried only to satisfy them.If that is his wont , he has succeeded this time too.

Bottomline: Run of the mill stuff.

2.5/5

Dindugal Sarathy

My Review :Dindugal Sarathy

This is the 3rd remake of Sreenivasan's Malayalam script into Tamil following , "Vellithirai" and "Kuseylan:. But "Dindugal Sarathy " ,a faithful remake of "Vadakku nokki yanthram " unlike the other two which tampered with the original , is a credible launching pad for Karunas as hero.The movie's thread is interesting and though it has been made already in Hindi & Telugu , in Tamil it is going to reap the success which eluded in those two attempts.

Plot: What happens to the psyche of a dark-complexioned guy infested with inferiority complex when he marries a very beautiful young girl is told in a hilarious manner.

Karunas: After all these years of mixed success as a comedian , he plunges into the lead role of the protagonist in this movie & he has done justice to the character , thus keeping in with the reputation of comedians being good actors in the line of Nagesh, Thangavelu , Chandrababu , Goundamani , Vadivelu....... He not only provides the laughter in the movie but also manages to touch the heartstrings of the viewers in some scenes. It is a good start for him.

Karthiga: She has also done exceedingly well as the adorable wife of Karunas .She has the talent but whether the doyens of kollywood would make use of it is a big question.

Among the support cast Saranya ,the proverbial mother of kollywood , M.S.Baskar , Livingstone & City Babu have done thier part well. Especially M.S.Baskar deserves mention for he manages to bring the roof down with laughter whenever he is on screen.

Music of Dhina passes muster with "Dindugallu dindugallu " topping the list.

Taj's camera work is not spectacular but adequate.

SivaShanmugam has given a decent movie with a good concept which strikes the chord with the viewer at the outset itself. Though the movie would have been better served without those item numbers ,they are only minor aberrations which one can excuse.

On the whole though it is not a great movie but it is certainly watchable.

Bottomline: Sun Pictures on a Hattrick.

3.5/5

Abhiyum Naanum

My Review:Abhiyum Naanum

Radha Maohan is back with his 4th venture " ABHIYUM NAANUM " , 3rd with Duet Movies and the rapport that he shares with PrakashRaj shows on screen. The combo have given yet another feel good clean family entertainer that is thoroughly enjoyable.Movie moves at a lively pace filled with some intelligent humor that evokes a hearty laughter punctuated with some emotional scenes which do bring out the tears.

Plot: The movie is about the coming of age of a father's relationship with his daughter & presented as his memories he shares with another young father.

Prakshraj: He is omnipresent , his acting is omnipotent & his confidence on screen stemming from his omniscient knowledge of the script. It is a treat for lovers of good restrained acting & his ability to bring out various shades of emotions on screen is simply amazing. One can just admire the man with awe seeing at his acting prowess & ease at which he goes into the skin of the character .He has lived as Raghuraman, father of an adorable daughter.I am at loss of words .

Trisha: She don't have much to do as it was proclaimed to be.She has done her job well in the minimum scope that has been given to her.

Aishwarya: After a long ,long time a good character has come her way & she has done justice to it.

Ganesh Venkatraman : He debuts with this movie as a knowledgeable sardar, lover of Trisha .It is a good start from him.

Kumaravel: It is a mystery why he is used just by Duet Movies .He rocks in the role of Ravi Shastri , the confidant of the family.

Prithviraj : He is the young father to whom Prakash Raj Shares his memories with.Though his is a guest role , he comes throughtout the movie & it is a pleasant surprise.

Preetha's camera has a field day in capturing the natural splendor of Ooty and Munar .Her cinematography is pleasant on the eyes & heart.

Vidhyasagar: Another dampner from him as far as songs goes.Though he has done decently with his BGM.

Narayanan & Subramanyam 's dialogues are an asset to the movie. They ably fill the shoes of Viji,who has written dialogues in all the previous movies of Radha Mohan. Dialogues are replete with witty intelligent one-liners & thought full ones.

Radha Mohan has yet another gem that he can be proud of . Only one scene which dampens his good effort - that of PrakashRaj beating Aishwarya in the beginning-which i didn't expect from him. He has become adept in handling themes that involves human relationships & their emotions.

Bottomline: Abhiyum Naanum is a must watch for all the fathers of today , & those who will be one tomorrow .

4/5

Bommalattam

My review:Bommalattam

Seeing Dravid struggling for form is very painful .A legend like him must know when to exit gracefully before becoming subject to reams of redicule.The same goes to legends like Balachander or Barathiraja. Former's "Poi" was a painful experience and now the later joins with this one. This is a pale shadow of the ones Barathiraja , the legend has given us so far. Amatuerishness is seen all over the movie & this brings down a rather well written script to the gutter.The movie is full of some careless direction & it brings us to the question why the legend himself has not yet realised it is time for a graceful exit.

Plot: It is murder mystery with all fingers pointed towards a legendary director.Whether he comes out of it unscathed forms the rest of the plot.

Nana PAtekar: He has done well but his efforts gets drowned in that magnetic ,baritone voice of Nizhalgal Ravi , who has dubbed for him.

Arjun : he has lived up to the title that is given to him in this movie "amaidhi puyalai".

Rest of the cast don't impress much.Ranjitha comes with the same expression throughtout the movie while Rukmini & Kajal don't have much to do.

Music by Himesh Reshmamiya is good ."Doley dolaya" song is hummable. BGM by Mandi is not that impressive.

B.Kannan's camera work is OK .

Couple of dialogues are sparkling & draws the applause from the crowd.

Bottomline : Barathiraja sir your time is up .

1.5/5

Mahesh Saranya Matrum Palar

My Review: Mahesh Saranya Matrum Palar

The makers don't proclaim it to be a classic or a masterpiece or a movie of the lifetime, yet it moves even those with stony heart to tears .This one joins the line of movies which became huge hits more due to thier strong climax than anything else like Love Today , Sollamale...etc."Kool productions", who gave us one of the better movies of this year in "Pudichirukku" have come back with yet another good one.

Plot: A glimpse of the life of MAHESH, SARANYA, MATRUM PALAR...

Sakthi: Man, this guy has improved by a mile from his forgettable debut.Here he has concentrated on perfecting one emotion at a time rather than trying to be "jack of all trade but king of none" as he tried in his debut.He has wonderfully underplayed his part to a great deal .Watch out for the climax scenes.He deserves special applause for that alone.

Sandhya: It is shocking to see her almost double the size since the time we last saw her.Not only she looks plump ,her acting also doesn't impress much.She looks more older than Sakthi.

Saranya Mohan: She continues with her merry cheerful self here too.She has more scope & screen space than Sandhya and has utilized it well.

As far as supporting cast goes , not everyone fits the bill.Some of their acting look amatuerish but a few like Sakthi's father , grandfather , Srinath and the one who comes as Sandhya's friend impresses.

Vidhyasagar's music and BGM is a shocker.Wondering what went wrong with him.It has been a while now since he has given a riveting musical.

Gunasekaran's cinematography is not spectacular but adequate & ably supports the story.

P.V.Ravi , who has written story, screenplay ,dialogs & has directed the movie , seems to believe in sticking on to a simple story which is told in an impressive ,fresh narrative style & ending it up with a stunning climax.Some scenes between Sandhya and Sakthi reminds us of the famous "Kushi" Vijay-Jothika confrontations with even similar dialogs thrown in.

The movie goes at a snail pace but the happening keeps one hooked to the screen.May be he would have added more depth to the love story .Than the impact would have been even greater.

Bottomline: Feel-good wholesome Family entertainer.

3.5/5

Poo

My Review : Poo

"Poo" on-screen adaptation of Tamilselvan's short story "Veyilodu poi" is yet another one of those realistic cinema that we are getting to see more often now in Tamil Cinema.Sasi, who has 3 consecutive hits to his name each one different from the run of the mill stuffs, is back at it again with a bang."Poo" is an axample of how to tell a simple story in a more simpler form in celluloid and yet make a hard impact on the viewers. It also marks the debut of one of the most talented actress in recent times, Parvathy.

Plot: Story of the present day Andal's love for her Tirumal.

Parvathy : She is the protagonist of the movie and she fills the screen from the first frame till the last. The story has ample scope for her to perform and she has feasted upon the opportunity. Gamut of emotions come easy to her & none would believe that she is not a native of the area in which the movie is set. She has a very big future ahead if only she chooses her movies judiciously.

Srikanth: It is more of a glorified "guest role" .He does his part with elan which a degree of underplay.

Supporting cast especially Inbanila (last seen in 9 Rupai Nottu) who plays the heroine's friend , Ramu who plays Srikanth's father, the tea master with a curious name "Allo" and the one who plays Parvathy's mom are first rate.Kudos for the casting department.

P.G.Muthiah's camera has written poetry on screen.The dry arid red soil of the interior Tamil NAdu never looked so beautiful on screen. He has a very bright road ahead of him.

Veerasamar' art work enhances the movie's authenticity. Whether the palm trees, Tatched houses , fire-company , elementary schools....everything are done with great care & attention.

Madan Gunadeva's editing helps in the story move at a languid pace without any penchant for gimmickry.

Music is by S.S.Kumaran. Mark this man.Yet another talent unearthed this year.(incidently he is the 3rd M.D. introduced by Sasi after Bobby and Vijay Anthony) He rocks in his BGM score as well as in 3 of the songs."Chu chu Mari" lingers in our mind long after..

Screenplay , Dialogues & Direction is by Sasi.He comes back after a brief hiatus with a movie backed by his heart.His mastery over the medium is all there to see right through the movie.The use symbolisms like the 2 palm trees , the pet goat of the heroine and her love for it which symbolises the love for cousin , a goat going to altar just as Srikanth's marriage is fixed with a rich girl.....Also he deserves credit for keeping the grim tale with tinges of good humour right through.

His earthy dialouges tinged with humour , subtle emotions & had hitting realism , elevates the movie .

One negative is that except two songs rest of them don't stick on with the narrative.Rather they are more irritating than anything else .

Except that ,the movie is high class with a very poetic ending .Go for it if you don't mind sitting through it with patience.

Bottomline: Poo , flower with a pleasant fragrance.

4/5

Thenavettu

My Review :Thenavettu

Jeeva has already found out that crass masala movies are not his forte with that forgettable "Pori" but sadly he seems not to have learned from it."Thenavetu" sadly will stick out like a sore thumb in his filmography along with "Pori" .

Plot: Hero loves a girl - Villan's son tries to molest her - hero beats him to death - villan tries to seek his revenge - Hero ends up triumphs against all odds - Hero-Heroine unite - a duet song in the end credits..........!so much for an innovative storyline...!!

Jeeva - Tries his hard to appear comfortable on screen but sadly he ends up unsuccessful as a village ruffian from Madurai coming to Chennai to work.Nowhere does he speak the Madurai dialect either. But he dances like a dream.

Poonam - reminds one of the angelical , goody-goody heroines of holy virtues & morals that we were accustomed to see on screen during the 70's and 80's . She turns up in glamorous outfits & shed her inhibitions in the songs though .(They are just dream sequences you see ..! )

Kanja Karupu tries his level best to elicit some laughter but sadly he fails in his endeavour.

RaviKale just hams his way through while Shafi as his psychotic son impresses but his punch dialogs get irritating after a while.

Saikumar , yesteryear hero , is wasted in a role of an inefficient police officer.

Songs by Srikanth Deva is nothing to write home about but choreography in that folk duet is quite interesting.

Technically the film is shoddy .

Kathir , who debuts with this movie ,treads the safe path of his guru but sadly the masala lacks in taste.

Bottomline : Stay Away.

2/5

Varanam Ayiram

My Review : Varanam Ayiram

A movie that pays tribute to Father-son relationship.Whereas"Thavamai Thavamirunthu" by Cheran was a "realistic" portrayal of the theme "Varanam Ayiram" from the famous Gautham-Surya-Harris Jayraj combo is an "idealistic" one.TT was successful in forging an Emotional connect with the viewers which is precisely what VA lacks in .When two of the lead actors die in the movie it never creates any sentiment on the viewers due the artificiality in characterization .But Gautham has woven a fairytale script which keeps one engrossed to the screen right through the 3 hours fairly successfully though the proceedings turn out to be too postive to be real.

Plot : it is an elegy of the son to his deceased father...

Surya : It is Surya's movie right through.He fills up the screen with gaiety & aplomb .And the amount of work he has put in to transform himself from head to foot to portray various shades of his character brings out tears in oneself & he deserves a standing ovation for it.His vast improvement in his footwork also shows up in the songs as well.

Among the lead ladies , though none has a substantial role to play,Simran proves her worth as a seasoned campaigner meanwhile Sameera Reddy shines in the scene in which she accepts her love for Surya though throughout the rest of her part she has to only flash her beautiful smile on screen.

Divya has impresses with an underplayed performance in a miniscule role.

Songs are already chartbusters and Harris Jayraj once again proves his mettle. However the same cannot be said of the song picturisation which is certainly not Gautham's forte. Especially the first two songs are more of a "spoof" of the songs of the 70's & 80's respectively.

Rathnavelu's hardwork lights up the screen & the colour contrast that he has attempted for various moods & phases of Surya's life enhances the mood of the proceedings.

Anthony has refrained from his usual gimmickry & thus from hurting our eyes.

Gautham , who has scripted & directed the movie has done a neat job in yarning various threads in the life of the protagonist without any confusion & hence the lenght remains never a problem.Starting as a classy movie it meanders the routine commercial path before getting stranded in between.

Also one wishes we too to be showered upon all the good fortunes that the lead players is showered upon like love at first sight , a willing girl not one but two , a father who is so supportive that he sends his son all the way to US only to pursue his love, the US Visa officials who are more than glad to grant him Visa for the same reason , the way he recovers from drug addiction , as easily as he can rescue a kidnapped child in an unknown terrain ..................Everything in his life seem to be ridiculously so easy !

Bottomline: A movie set in Utopia.

3.5/5

Seval

My review : Seval

Hari is one director who is caught up with in the Time-machine of 80's cinema.And almost all his movies follow a routine action-sentiment formula bounded with a racy script . He believes in his hero's "aruval" & heroine's "Kanner" which make up a deadly combo ,spiced up with oodles of Male chauvinisms & age old rediculous superstitions . Ironically with this he has done wonders in his constituency which is ladies & rural audiences of south. Cola sipping , Pizza munching , IT kiddos please excuse.!

Plot: Age old story of a ruffian falling in love with a girl of angelical qualities & problems that they face before finally uniting in the end......!

Barath: He has done justice to his role well.He is every inch a village wastrel who is out of the bounds of his father strictness. Also he has shown the contrast in his character that undergoes a change after his tryst with love. But it is comical to see him as a 40 year old though !

Poonam Bajwa: Hats-off to her courage for shaving her head .I don't think there is any actress in the whole of India who would have done it except it was a Shabana Azmi or a Nandhitha Das (who did it for "Water" before it got shelved.)But the sad part that it appears to be forced into the movie rather than what the script exactly wanted. She has a good future ahead as she is good in the emoting aspect as well.

Simran: She neither has a big part to play nor her part is much powerful as it was proclaimed to be.Rather her role is very regressive one in the days of female rights & forward looking modern women.

Vadivelu: Tickles the funny bones well. Esp. the scene in which he reads a letter with "Padithathum kilithuvidavum" written in it is very hilarious.

Sampath : Not a well etched out role .All through his only part is to ogle at the heroine.

Supporting cast includes Rajesh , Y.G.Mahendran ,Yuvasri,Prem , Krishna--all have done their parts well.

Music by G.V.Prakash is a downer.He seems to go downhill after his "Veyil" days.

Priyan , a Hari constant , has captured the flower fields & natural beauty of Nellai well.

What V.T.Vijayan failed to do , the theater operators have succeeded in doing.They have trimmed the movie by half an hour it seems which makes the movie to not lag that much.

Coming to Hari , he has forced sentiments into the movie unlike his previous ones. Take for instance the "heights of sentiment" that this movie try to achieve - that of the heroine's head getting shaven. She accepts to get her head shaven only to prove that Barath has no place in her life & will serve the family of her in-laws untill her death knowing pretty well that they are a treacherous gang.But a frame later she does exactly what she was accused of in the first place..!!!

Bottomline: average

3/5

Netru,Indru,Nalai

My REview :Netru,Indru,Nalai

First i must clear two misconceptions regarding the movie.

1) First , it is not a bilingual , as the makers claim it to be. 90 % of the movie seems to be dubbed from Telugu and they have shots of some famous landmarks of Chennai in between the narration to give a feel that the story is happening in Chennai !

2) Also don't get fooled by the importance given to Tamannah in the trailers and publicity posters of the movie . If you want to see the movie for the sake of seeing her , better you take a look at the trailers of the movie ...That is all the part that she plays in the movie as well. Not an inch more than that.

Plot : If there is any , than those who have seen this movie please explain to me.

The title doesn't have anything to do with the movie ....The scenes depicted as INDRU-portray the life of the hero , which lasts for days,weeks.... ; for NETRU - the life history of the villian , a Dada , is shown ...; & finally director flashes the words NALAI -- may be intended at the consequence of those who have watched the movie courageously ....!

The credits informs a list of names as ACTORS , But none seem to justify the claim.

Dilague writer Prasannakumar shows of his misogynistic attitude with his dialogues full of spewing venom towards the females ..

AND ,

How long does these Bigoted filmmakers going to portray a penniless , jobless , good for nothing pauper loving a rich girl as HERO and a sensible , forthright girl who refuses the love of such a loser for some better prospects as a VAMP.

The much publicized erotic song featuring Ravikrishna and Akshara (Of Punnagai Poove fame) is downright crass and vulgar even after being heavily censored . It is a shocker that the movie has got U/A .

The director Laxmikanth is totally at sea with a very purposeless script and inept direction .

Bottomline : Trash

1.5/5

Dhurai

My Review : Dhurai

Arjun's follow up to one of his major hits "Marudhamalai" was keenly expected by all but sadly " Dhurai " fails to live up to the expectations.Arjun's Story & screenplay plays the spoilsports here which fails to liven up the proceedings .

Plot : About political power struggle & conspiracies within a party .

Arjun : He is dashing on screen with a well toned up body which he flashes often in the movie . As far the acting goes he is little irritating as an amnesic in the first half but regains his feet in the second half as a man bent to seek revenge.

There are 3 heroines but all are used as properties without a inch of scope to perform , not that they are itching to show of thier acting prowess either . Keerath in particular seems to think that flashing her teeth on to the camera is all about acting.

Vivek irritates as usual trying to emulate Vadivelu .

Music by D.Iman , who is usually good at remixing has miserably murdered the classic "Raja..rajai rajan intha raja .." by remixing it .It feels terrible to hear the remix version of one of Raja sir's beauty .

Cinematographer Laxmipathy (Debutant) tries his best to show his prowess but he seem to have battled with the limited resources .

Editor seems to have slept off during the entire process of editing this movie. 2:20 mins seem to go on & on.

A.Venkatesh , who has a name as a reliable commercial director has faltered this time as the script just refuses to help his causes .

Bottomline : Movie joining the list of Pandhayam & Sakkarakatti ....

1.5/5

Sakkarakatti

My review : Sakkarakatti

In one of the earlier scenes friends of the hero takes pot shot at one of the cliches of Tamil cinema - loving an unknown girl & friends enquiring about her ....the scenes gets cut abrubtly & the same scene appears in a different manner --> making one to sit up in the seat in the anticipation of something different out of ordinary to happen .But in the very next frame the same girl entering the same class of the hero puts off any excitement one has gathered at the moment ..

Plot: from the time of colleges made appearance in Tamil cinema , we have each & every film having same plot that have been beaten to bushes ...

Santhannu : He has a good screen presence & definitly a hero material but here he is let down by a very poorly written role . Sadly he doesn't seem to have the capacity to rise above the pedestrian role that he has been offered .

Ishitha : Looks pleasing to the eyes but as far as acting goes trash course on it is needed urgently if she is serious about a career in films .

Vedhika : Only relief in the casting department who emotes to the best of her ability but sadly the script demands her to be meloncholic throughout the movie .

Among those who appear as friends , one or two of them succeeed in evoking a few laughs here & there .

Music by A.R.Rahman is very good especially Taxi Taxi & Marudhani .

Andrew & Raasamathi have done a good job capturing the movie in a trendy & cool manner . But the CG department of the movie goes over-board in their needless spoofy imagery in the song sequences which tests one's patience after a while .

Editor seem to have tried his best to save us from being exasperated too much by limiting the lenght of the movie to just 2 Hrs but sadly this too seem to go on & on for ever .

Mr.Kalaprabhu - Enna koduma sir idhu . Even Master Nithin Ramakrishnan (Aged 16 who has recently made debut in Malayalam ) & Kishen (aged 10 who is the youngest director record holder) seem to be more imaginative with their scripts & assertive in their direction than you .You have redefined the word cliche in Tamil cinema .

Heard that Oxford dictionary people are seriously trying to change the meaning for cliche as " Sakkarakatti " .

Bottomline: Sakkarakatti - a bitter pill to swallow .

1.5/5

Kadhalil Vizhunthaen

My review : Kadhalil Vizhunthaen

The super duper number "Naka muka " will act positively as well as negatively regarding the movie's prospects .On the positive side it has ensured a very grand opening which only a few big stars in Tamil Cinema can vouch for but ironically the same song brings in people in a mindset to enjoy & celebrate leaving them unprepared for such a heavy subject like this .

The top draw of the movie , other than the songs which are now a rage , are the acting of Nakul as well as others .

Plot: A routine love story of a poor boy falling in love with a rich girl .......but with a surprising twist in the tale .

Nakul : The movie belongs to this man who has put in his heart & soul in a very difficult character that he plays & he comes out with flying colours . He has lost a lot of puppy fat & improved his Tamil diction very well . He dances like a dream .

Kudos for him to do such a challenging character at an early phase of his career . Scenes in the hospitals as well as the climax deserves special mention .

Sunaina : looks non-glamorous but has performed well though she has practically no role to play in the second half.

Others in the cast like Sampath , Livingstone & Hariraj have supported the movie very well .

Vijay Milton's cinematography is mixed bag in this movie .Some scenes are excellently shot while some others which follow them are stictly ok .

Vijay Anthony stikes gold with this movie . All songs are already chartbusters . Apart from "Naka muka ", others like "Unakena naan " & "Thozhiya en kadhaliya" are also mesmerising . He has done a good job in BGM as well .

Debutant director P.V.Prasad must be first congratulated for taking such a heavy subject first up . His touches are seen all over the second half .Infact the second half seem to be on totally different plane when compared to the ordinary first half . One thought that he must have portrayed first half love story more convincingly & strongly .Than it would have brought a even stronger impact in the second half.

Also he has made use of the story of a gorilla & it's kid very cleverly

On the whole the first half is superficial & half-backed while the second half is a stunner .

Bottomline : Go to enjoy Naka Muka but be prepared for unexpected shocks .

3.5/5

Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal VaraiI

My Review : Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai

Even before the credits appear clips of the first motion picture of the world & that of India are shown with credits of their creaters . This gives a clue about what the movie is all about --> a first time director trying to make his frist movie based on several first's that happen in his life & that of others whom he comes in contact with --> Hence the title of the movie. Actually movie has an autobiographical tinge in it which the director reveals in the end .

The first metro movie in Tamil , a genre which is as familiar to tamil audience as Pizza Hut is to Usilampatti . Question arises whether tamil audience are ready for this kind of movies & answer is a big NO(which is clearly evident in the theatre ).But that does not take away any credit from the debutant director Krishna Shesadri Komadan who must be applauded for the risk that he took in his very first movie experimenting with a new genre .

Plot : Movie peeks at a life of an aspiring movie director & his various first's like frist love , first kiss , first pregnancy , first copying in exams ....etc which forms the script of his movie that he is to direct .

Acting : one of the strength of the movie is its cast . Whether it is Sathyajit as the protogonist , Anuja iyer as his date or Charan , Kumarave as his assisstants or others , every one is aptly cast & acts very casually with no artficiality whatsoever . Also every one seem to dub in their own voice whic further enhances their performances.

Music : only one song which is a hindi erotic number which is ok . Aslam Mustafa has done a neat job in BGM .

Fowsia Fathima has captured the movie with almost 70 % of the movie as close up shots in various angles & there is feel of the movie being filmed in a handy cam (to add authenticity to the plot of herofilming his movie in a handy cam ) & visuals are mostly grainy ( done deliberatly ??)

B.Lenin has done some innovative cuttings to enhance the youthfullness of the movie.

The movie is not a regular movie with a story , screenplay & climax . It does not proceed as a normal movie would . It is wound around the various first expereinces of various individuals around the protogonist in a light hearted manner .

Dialogues are real to life & " KOOL " .Though there is ample dose of english in it .

It is quiet similar to " Hydrabad Blues " in the way casting , performances & the making of the movie is concerned but not as lucid or linear as it. Movie gives a feel of watching a documentary now & then .

Bottomline : Trendsetter in Tamil .

3.5/5

Raman Thediya Seethai

My Review : Raman Thediya Seethai

This movie can't be categorised as a family drama or romantic drama & it is neither a commercial masala movie nor an artistic & realistic movie .But it is an impressive movie with some very good acting by all the actors as well a fresh story & screenplay added with some intelligent dialogues. Jagannaath who missed a hit with his previous two movies will reap success with this one.

Plot : It is a story about the hero trying to get himself a life partner & people whom he comes into contact in the process.

Cheran: Proves why he is called "Yathartha nayagan " though his acting seem to get repetitive whether it is Autugraph or Thavamai Thavamirundhu or Pirivom Sandhipom or here .

Pasupathy : It is a very good performance from him & suits to the role of a blind RJ to the hilt. His body language , facial expressions & dialogue delivery presents before us an authentic blind person .It is one of his memorable performance .

Nitin Sathya : He also impresses with a role of a reformed thief for love . He has an expressive eyes & used it well .

Vimala Raman : As Ranjitha ,first girl who say no to Cheran but eventually falls for his good manners has done a neat job . Again another actor with an expresive eyes in this movie.

Gazala : As Tamilisai , who loves & ties the knot with Pasupathy looks radiant on screen . Should have taken care of the dialogue delivary .

Ramya Nambeesan : As estranged daughter of Manivannan gives a flawless performance .

Kaarthiga : She is also impressive in the role of the girl behind the reformation of the theif -Nitin Sathya.

Others in the supporting cast like Manivannan , NAvya NAir & KArunas have also done thier jobs well though the later two have a very little part to play .

VidhyaSagar 's BgM is more impressive than the songs . Couple of songs are humworthy.

RajeshYadhav 's cinematography captures the natural splendour of Nagarkoil very pleasantly . The lush green rainy locales of Nagercoil are very soothing to the eyes.

Janganath has given a very neat movie sans violence or vulgarity .Movie moves at good pace in the first half though the last 30mins. seem to drag a bit . Also most of the characters just come & go .Director may have taken efforts to establish those characters more .For example , Karunas & Navya NAir are wasted in the movie .

Though the movie is not without drawbacks it is a decent movie to be watched with entire family pleasantly .

Bottomline: Fresh as a pre-monsoon rain .

4/5

Poi Solla Porom

My Review: Poi Solla Porom

Here it is . At last we have a full lenght comedy in tamil after a long wait . Vijay ,inspired from JAideep Shahni's " Koshla ka Ghosla" , has managed to give us a clean comedy movie which is totally natural - both in acting as well as the settings.

Plot : A middle class family is all out to get back their property from a dreaded real estate shark who has illegally encroched upon it .

Karthikkumar : It is the best from him so far . He is so natural & effortless as a techie who is detatched from his family as well as his love who later tries his heart out to get back his family land. (But how long will directors show him as one who has to do someting with US ).

Piya : the new comer heroine , whom we are familiar in umpteen adds that we see on TV, has done a OK job but should have taken care as far as the lip sink is concerned . Suchithra's dubbing portrays more emotions than the face of her !

Mouli : among other supporting actors he stands tall. It is yet another knock-out performance from the veteran. It is hard to imagine any other in that role.

Nasser: Another one who impresses with his looks as well as body language . Special mention the scenes when he confronts the village girls in the land - whole theatre was laughing aloud .

Nedumudy Venu : Ably portrays myriad of emotion right from buying the land , loosing it , going through lot of hardships & finally achieving his dream.

Laksmi as the house-wife/mom makes us take notice of her right in the opening scenes itself in which she talks about missing the serial right in front of his husband's dead body.

Balaji's a impressive debut esp. the scene in which he confronts the fisheries dept. officers is a laugh riot.

Bosky & others support aptly.

Sree Kumar's songs & Gopi Sunder's re-recording adds spice to the proceedings.

Arvind Krishna scores & proves that he can make the visuals rich even if the movies is a comedy caper.

Vijay - who has written & directed the movie has done a very good job in making us laugh , which is not that easy. Also the movie is technically sound & never looses on the reality aspects also . Since the plot is also a topical issue thw movie is bound to get good responses from all .

Bottomlone: A sweet lie .

4/5

Saroja

My review: Saroja

At the outset a hearty congratulations & thanks to Venkat Prabhu for reviving a very interesting genre which is very rare in Tamil Cinema - " the comical thriller ". He showed us what he is made up of in " Chennai 600028 " & now he proves that it what not a flash in the pan.

Plot: How 4 ordinary men react when confronted with an extra-ordinary situation & come up triumphant.

Venkat Prabhu: the hero of the movie , has managed to bring out laughter even in the most serious of situations naturally & his success lies in this aspect.Also supported by an intelligent screenplay , it is field day for the director Venkat Prabhu .Also technically he has given a very advanced movie.

Yuvan Sankar Raja: He is the next hero , who has elevated the movie with his stupendous BGM. All songs are chartbusters already-which adds up to the success.

Sakthi Saravanan: Last but certainy not the least of the 3 real heroes of the movie is a revealation. Binny mills never looked so differnt before (kudos for art director also ) & darkness was never portrayed in such a poetic manner before.His use of colours further enhances the visual majesty.

Praveen and Srikanth: the editor duo attracts our attention even during the titles , makes us take notice during the "cheeky cheeky " song , captivates us during the "Dosth bada dosth " song & leave us enthralled during the rest of the movie with their innovative cuttings.

Among actors Prakashraj takes the top honours with a very matured, underplayed role of a father in trauma . Special mention to the scene in which he breaks down.

Next comes Premji , his best performance till date .Esp. the love scenes centred around him are a laugh riot.

Shiva - another scene stealer in the movie esp.with his unique dialougue delivery bordering melodrama keeping in mind that he is a TV serial actor .

S.P.Charan is the actual master brain of the gang has done his role with maturity.

Sampath in another sound role but should take care to come out his typecast as rowdy/dada.

Jayaram - role very similar to that in Dham Dhoom and acting also seem to be ditto .

Vaibav- has a goos future as a action hero esp. with his eyes which portrays anger very effortlessly.

Nikitha- the scene stealer among the females in the movie .She sizzles in "Kodana kodi" .Wonder why very few opportunities for this beauty.

Vedha and Kajal Agarwal - look pretty on screen and that's about them.

Bottomline : Sure shot

4/5

Alibaba

My Review: Alibaba

After a slew of expected movies turning out to be damn-squibs , here comes a movie that is least talked about --ALIBABA-- turning out to be another surprise packet this year. The debut team can be proud of their product.

Plot: A petty thief finds out that his bank acoount gets deposited with lakhs of money. Who are behind it & Is he cornerned in a bigger conspiracy forms the rest of the plot.

Krishna: Debutant hero, who resembles S.J.Suryah in his looks, has made a good debut in a role which is central to the proceedings. He can emote well, Dance as well as do comedy.

Janani: another debutant is refreshing to the eyes & her role not only blends well withe narrative but also contributing to it , not there for provinding romantic relief alone.

Prakashraj: As the father of the hero he steals the show in the 1st half .Look out for his introduction screen in particular. Some of Tyagarajan's best dialogues are reserved for him.

Jeeva: His dialogue delivary & sarcastic comedy are similar to Santhanam.

Thilagan, Radharavi,Bijumaenon and Alagamperumal --all have a significant part in the movie & it is heartening to see the director has used all of them well in the culmiation of the plot.

Vidhyasagar comes back with some good numbers but the song picturisation would have been better. BGM is also very good contributing to the suspense.

Dineshkumar's camera has faithfully stood beside the director in fulfilling his vision.

Neelan K Sekar--credited with story,scrennplay & direction , has made a credible debut.He has taken a very intersting plot , spiced it up with a non-linear screenplay tto build up the suspence & keep us hooked onto the proceedings right through the 2:10mins , which is by no means an easy task to achieve.

The movie comes as a special surprise & another debut team had made a good beggining this year.

Bottomline: Don't worry about the 40 theifs (other flops this year) that we have seen this year, Alibaba is here to provide the worth for your money.

4/5

Dhanam

My Review: Dhanam

Here comes a pretentious movie --wannabe classic but the makers have ended with eggs on their face. Both the groups at the opposite end of the spectrum --1) those who come to see it for sleaze that is advertised in the posters as well as 2)those who would have believed it to be a class movie--would have come out of the theatres disappointed.There is nothing for both of these set of people. Pity that Raja sir's wonderful music have got wasted in this pretty sorry movie.

Plot: A bizarre plot. Danam , a CSW gets married to an orthodox Brahman family since their astrologer predicts better luck . Later the same family kills her daughter when she is predicted to bring ill-luck to the family.Rest of the plot deals with how she avenges the death of her daughter.

Sangeetha: has performed well but certainly not her best .

Prem: As the lover & later the husband of Danam has very little to do.

Girish Karnad: A cliched character of a pious Brahmin patriarch which we have seen umpteen times.

Kota Srinivasa Rao: As a scheming astrologer has performed his usual villanous role.

Karunas , M.s.Baskar & co have struggled hard to evoke some laughter.

Jeeva's cinematography is easy on the eyes . It is evident that there is another cinematographer who have finished the movie after his demise.

Therre is certainly no novelty in the story , screenplay , dialogues & direction by Shiva.

Movie is absolutely cliche ridden, cinematic to the core & totally unreal . Climax is the most bizzare one to the already painful movie.

Only redeeming aspect of the movie is Raja sir's songs . 6/7 songs are very good esp. "Kannanukku enna", "unakulle irukiraen " & "ilamai Kanavugal ". But however raja sir has disapointed in the BGM.

Bottomline : Pretentious .

2/5

Dham Dhoom

My Review : Dham Dhoom

Jeeva has tried a genre different from his earlier ones - action thriller which he does justice until his demise after which the makers seem to become clueless as to how to end the movie & it shows on the screen .He has taken a very interesting plot to start with , spiced it up with a cute village romance to keep it intersting & some thrilling chase & action . But once it changed hands , the movie goes downhill as the makers have desperately tried to complete it in a huff.

Plot : Young Doctor going to Russia to attend a conference ends up getting entangled in a murder conspiracy .How he gets himself out of this dangerous situation in an alien land forms the plot of the movie.

Jayam Ravi : Mr.Charming romantic hero has tried to don action hero mantle with this movie & he has succeeded to an extent . It is a welcome change from him who suits to the role to the T.

Kangana Ranauth : She dominates the scenes in which she is part of & proves why she is considered as one of the very few actress of bollywood who can ACT .

Laxmi Rai : A big break for her . For the first time she has "acted" in a movie which she has done very well . But the love angle of her's is little perplexing & dubious to say the least .

Jayaram : It is sad to see him in such an underwritten , insignificant role .

Harris Jayaraj: 2 songs are hum-worthy . Could have done better with the BGM.

JEEVA : He excells in the cinematography . Whether it is the lush locales of Pollachi or hustles & bustles of Russia , He has once again proved that he is master in Cinematography , can see the movie once for this alone and it makes one sad that we can no more see his mastery on screen .

Screenplay and direction is also by him. Movie is intersting & keeps us engaged upto 3/4th of the movie after which it nose dives badly to the end .

On the whole the movie is better than many other movies that has hit the screen this year ,if one can let off some illogical sequences , Cliches , Inspirations and some absurd dialogues . If one tries to harp on the logic or rather the lack of it , no heroes right from MKT upto Dhanush would have reaped success . They are part and parcel of movies not only in TC but world over .

Bottomline: Time to pay tirbute to one of the best cinematographers of all time .

3.5/5