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

Nandhalala

My Review : Nandhalala



Based on the Japanese movie “ Kikujiro” , Mysskin’s “Nandhalala” is a travelogue with a brilliant background score by Ilayaraja & excellent cinematography by Mahesh Muthusamy. Mysskin the director takes the third place only though he is the man behind the movie as the whole.

Ilayaraja is back with his haunting violins which made movies like “Veedu ” & “Sandhya Raagam ” memorable. He is one musician who knows the value of silence . In many poignant sequences where a customary music director would have tried his level hard to put in some music to fill in the emotion , Raja just makes the silence evocate the emotions in the viewer. Ilayaraja is the foremost person why many would have ventured into the theatres showing this movie & he does satisfy them whole heartedly.

All the three songs that find a place in the final cut "Melle Oorndhu Oorndhu , "Onnukkonnu.”’, "Thalaattu Ketka Nanum" are haunting pieces . Hearing Ilayaraja & K.J.Yesudas after a long time in itself brings back the nostalgic memories in you.

Mahesh Muthusamy is the second most significant person of “Nandhalala” . Movie has lots of long shots & the manner in which he has literally played with the camera in his hand is astonishing. With the aerial shots , low-angle shots which he used to great effect in “Anjathey” in that famous sequence & the number master shots in the movie , Mahesh must have had a ball in showcasing his talents which he has in abundance.

Mysskin , the director has done a decent job while the screenplay writer must have dozed off a bit while the actor is completely off target. The confusion in which he has conceived & portrayed the mentally ill character is average to put it mildly. Bereft of the sensitivity , poignancy & authenticity Myskkin’s mentally ill protagonist is stereotyped , ill-etched & far-fetched from real.

Except that aberration, rest of the characterisation are well-etched and conceived & brilliantly portrayed by the actors , be it Aswath Ram as the other protagonist or Snigtha , the bikers , the shepherd , the lorry driver , the coconut vendor , etc. Nasser , though he comes in for just 20-30 seconds or so , he leaves a mark in your mind . And Mysskin’s speciality is the situational humour & the angst which come out effortlessly onscreen. Rohini is too young to be Mysskin’s mother , atleast some make-up would have done some good to hide her youthful demeanour.

The final 15-20 minutes disturbs you & leave a mark where the director & writer in Mysskin some to the fore but the two reasons why the movie makes a greater impact are one ,Ilayaraja & two , Mahesh Muthusamy.

On the whole , “Nandhalala” is a journey worth travelling .

Bottomline : Thalaatu..!

4/5

CHIKKU BHUKKU

My Review : Chikku Bhukku



Legendary cinematographer-cum-director Jeeva’s assistant Manikantan who completed the former’s last project “Dhaam-dhoom” after his untimely demise has come out with his first full feature “Chikku Bhukku”. The movie’s basic thread is inspired from “Love Aaj Kal ” but the comparison ends there for it is like comparing chalk & cheese.

“Chikku Bhukku” is viewer’s nightmare & it’s like the worst punishment one can go through in the name of entertainment. One shudders to think how can one end up watching such a movie in the first place wasting time & money. Moreover what must have been going through the mind of the producers when they convinced in frittering away their ?hard earned money in such an inane project. Manikantan has just squandered his chance big way.

Movie is very sluggish , amateurish , uninteresting , head-ache inducing , silly , absurd, .....losing at adjectives to describe it. Only solace is the 1985 part of the story even though it is not that novel atleast it tries to capture your attention.

Preetika is not only pretty but “acts” well too & an exact antithesis to what all that of Shriya , who looks jaded , doesn’t seem to know anything remotely related to acting .Infact Shriya trying to do a “Bommarillu” Genelia or a “Jab We Met” Kareena irritates the already battered & bruised viewer leaving him/her to squirm in the seat.

Arya’s portrayal of Sekhar is calm & matured while his characterization as Arjun is half baked & his performance too takes a beating due to that.

Shanthanam is the only reason why one may remain sane while watching the movie & he prevents the viewer from getting into a complete meltdown.

Music by Colonial Cousins Hari-Leslie is nothing attractive while Gurudhev’s cinematography is classy & the colour tone he has employed to show variation between the 1980’s story & the present day one is good. Technically movie is sound but content wise it has nothing to vouch for.

On the whole , please don’t recommend it to even most nastiest of your enemies.

Bottom-line: “ Chikku Bhukku “ – Total derailment.!

1.5/5

Va (1/4)

My Review : Va



Puskhar-Gayatri fresh from their different yet successful debut movie “Oram Po ” are back with yet another different attempt with “Va “(1/4) . The film's story takes place in one night, in which the protagonist, with the help of his would-be brother-in-law, hunts for a last liquor before leaving to Saudi Arabia. The freshness of the concept & the manner in which the movie has been shot are the strong points while the sluggish screenplay plays the spoilsport.

The direction is also patchy with some good sequences interspersed with some very ordinary & some very amateurish ones. While watching the movie sometimes one get a doubt whether the same due have done this movie too for they have done a very neat job in their debut feature.

Dialogues too are at times funny & at time kiddish. But the thing that make it worse is the bad dialogue delivery from Shiva & the one who has dubbed for Lekha. Shiva’s rendition of Kovai Tamil is simulated & doesn’t jell with his body language.

Shiva is getting typecast & he seems to be doing the same thing all over again right from his debut movie “Chennai 600028”. He seem to have reluctance to come out of his comfort zone which would make his survival difficult in the industry which is fraught with heavy competition. Or else he would end up as a comedy side kick in the near future.

S.P.B.Charan does a neat job of it as the brother-in-law of the hero .He has come a long way since “Unnai Saran Adaindaen ” in his expressions & histrionics. His dialogue delivery is way better than the hero & heroine while his comical expressions are a treat. His innocent & naive demeanor adds up to the effect.

Lekha has nothing much to do which the bane of the heroine of contemporary Tamil movies.She overdoes her expressions in many of the sequences & she needs to learn how to draw a line between comical expressions & insanity .

John Vijay is as competent as ever & after “Oram Po ” he gets a meaty role in this movie & he has utilized the opportunity well.

Nirav Shah’s cinematography is one of the USPs of the movie . He is as stupendous as ever but the green tone does gets under one’s nerve after a point.

G.V.PrakashKumar’s music has nothing much to offer while his BGM is pathetic to say the least. Its as if one is watching a amateur drama & BGM being given for it by some part-time musicians.

On the whole , “Va (1/4) ” is not as bad it is portrayed in the media . It does keeps one engaged in the goings-on with the intermittent phases of amateurishness that leaves one dismayed .

Bottomline : Appetizing but not enough kick to offer..!

2.5/5

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

RAAVANAN

My Review : Raavanan



Manirathanm’s “Ravanan ” a perfect example of self-indulgence at it’s pinnacle. One is at loss of words when such a pathetic writing comes from one of the legends of Indian cinema.


It is a good idea to recreate an epic in it’s modern interpretation only if it is plausible to the situations &scenario the writer has in his mind. “Dalapathy” is a good example for that. But if the writer starts at making a movie with the one &only aim of doing a modern day adaptation of the epic & all the situation and scenarios are forced into for that end we get to see only such half backed & unpalatable attempts like this movie or for that matter the recently released & very over-rated “Raajneethi”.


The movie boasts of one of the best visuals that we have seen in Indian cinemas yet. It has first class acting from all the actors concerned.But the movie gets let down by a very average writing both script as well as dialogues.


Second half atleast had some semblance of sanity in it but the first half is as wretched as it may get.To make the matters worse Suhasini’s dialogues are horrible with people then & there mouthing different dialect as they wish. Prithviraj asking for a lie-detector test on Ashwarya Rai will go down as one of the most hilarious moment (howsoever unintended it may be ) in Indian cinema.


Ambience , attires as well as the backdrop all look alien to Tamil culture & ethos which reminds us of that misadventure Maniratham & Barathiraja ventured into , “Tajmahal”.


Vikram has done his part well but his role is shoddily written. Whether he is a normal person or a maniac with hallucinatory behaviour is anyone’s guess.


Ashwarya must have worked hard for the role with all those risky shots in such a unfriendly terrain but as far as acting goes she has nothing much to do with her wooden face to make the matters worse.


Prithviraj’s role is another example for the bad writing the movie plagued with.As far as others go Prabhu, Karthik & Priya Mani have done well.


The main attraction is the cinematography ,credits shared by Santosh Sivan & Manigandan. The manner in which they have captured not only the nature’s splendour but also the human vulnerabilities is a poetry on celluloid. If only they were backed up by a solid writing things would have been even better.


A.R.Rahman’s music is average .His music for Maniratnam’s movie seem to have fallen to a pattern which he must address in the future.



On the whole, “Raavanan” is a complete letdown.


Bottomline : Bad writing.


2/5

Singam

My Review: SINGAM




Surya’s 25th movie “Singam” written & directed by Hari is a treat for the action lovers.The movie moves at a breakneck speed even before one realizes the movie gets over leaving very little time in between for the viewers to think about the logic or lack of it.

To his credit ,Hari has tried to make it as much plausible as he possibly can while maintaining the tempo of the movie right through except for maybe the songs which are only 4 ,thankfully.The flow of the screenplay is lucid & vivid that makes the viewing enjoyable & less strenuous.

When one enters the movie hall with a preconceived notion that it may be yet another masala potboiler nothing much to look forward to , what follows is two and half hours of engaging cinema .It is time for Sun pictures to rejoice & repeat their successful association with Surya after that immensely successful “Ayan” last year.

Surya is charming & dashing as ever though he tries hard to portray the role of the ruffian police.He is clearly uncomfortable in the areas where high decibel dialogue delivery is mandated. He has improved his dancing & fighting skills . The makers’ hard work in masking the massive difference in height between the lead pair is appreciable onscreen.

Anuskha has nothing much to do but to follow in similar vein as to her performance in her previous movies like “Vettaikaran”. She however sizzles in the song numbers though.

Prakashraj in yet another role of a dada which he will do with ease even in the middle of his midnight sleep.

Vinek does succeeds in spewing humor in couple of instances in a role which is a takeoff from that of Vadivelu in “Marudhamalai”.

Devisriprasad’s music has nothing to note while Priyan has done a decent work as the cinematographer.

Hari’s career is a mixed bag with a mixture of commercially super hit movies like “Saami” , “Vel” , “Tamil” as well as duds like “Seval” , “Aaru ” , “Arul”….. “Singam ” is sure to find a place in the former list.

On the whole , it is a time pass movie for the commercial film lovers.

Bottomline : Racy entertainer.

3.5/5

Irumbu Kottai Murattu Singam

My Review : Irumbu Kottai Murattu Singam




Simbudevan known for his fantasy movies with comical undertones has come up with yet another one with “Irumbu Kottai Murattu Singam” (IKMS) .Here he has tried to pay his tribute to the cowboy genre of movies of the yore. The setting in itself is an interesting one – quiet fascinating for the kids while a trip down memory lane for the older viewers.

Movie has typical Simbudevan stamp of political satire & political references sprinkled all over which are enjoyable but he ought to have worked hard as afar as the scripting goes which is very loose & lackluster to be honest. Scenes tend to get repetitive & frankly tiring to say the least with people jumping onto horses every now & then ,songs springing out of nowhere adding to the misery of the viewers.

Another downer is that the comedy quotient is very low in the movie & hence when enters the theatre looking forward to having a blast laughing , naturally one is bound to get disappointed with when things are on the contrary.

Dialogues are the major strong point of the movie which keeps the viewers awake . None is spared with writer Simbudevan having a field day taking dig at all & sundry ,especially the India- US nuclear deal , Western World Imperialism , state of affairs in Sri Lanka & our apathy towards it , to mention a few.

The attention to details that Simbudevan has is amazing. Infact the background & the minute detailing in the background are more enjoyable & hilarious than the main movie in itself.

The casting of the movie is also impressive with everyone from Raghava Lawrence to V.S.Raghavan playing their parts well.Special mention to M.S..Baskar who have the audience in splits whenever he is onscreen with his bizarre language. Saikumar gets to mouth almost all the hard hitting dialogues .Nasser is another actor who stands up tall among the crowd.

Na.Alagappan’s visuals pay homage to the grand old man of cow boy genre movies in Tamil ,Karnan. Also his use of color tones are interesting for he tend to use them in accordance with the original movie that is getting referred to , like for instance the camera work & color tone used have a heavy inspiration from the “Indiana Jones ” series of movies. Whether it is intended or coincidental is for the makers to clarify.

G.V.Prakashkumar’s songs are very average with none hummable while Sabesh-Murali’s BGM reminds that of the old cowboy movies.

On the whole, family & kids may enjoy IKMS for its petty humor & novel settings but for the majority of the cinegoers it is a tiresome experience .

Bottomline : IKMS- not roaring loud enough to merit attention.


2.5/5

RETTAI SUZHI

My Review: Rettai Suzhi






“Rettai Suzhi ” is not a children’s movie but a childish movie . Movie is boring , screenplay is sluggish & the story is a beaten to death one right from the black and white era . Much hyped pairing of K.Balachandar & Bharathiraja falls flat with a very confusing characterization of the two. Director himself is baffled with their characterization for in one scene they both act plain childish while in another they play damn serious . Atleast Bharathiraja has some role to play while that of K.Balachandar is downright pathetic.

Only thing that keeps one going is the sparkling dialogues from Nalan Thamizh which are humorous & hard hitting at the same time. Here is a very promising writer from whom much can be expected in the future. His take on Kushboo brings down the roof with laughter. Another strength of the movie is it’s children cast who all have done a stupendous jobs though they act overtly smart for their ages in most of the scenes.

New find Aari is passable while Anjali’s “Susi” pales into insignificance especially with her’s “Kani” still ruling the minds of the cine-goers.

Karunas is humorous while others in the supporting cast don’t have anything to do . Sad to see artist of the stature of Jayachitra wasted in such an insignificant role.

Karthik Raja’s music is ok as far as the songs are concerned while his BGM is bad.

Chezhiyan’s visuals are catchy .

Thamira who used to help K.Balachandar in his serials is yet to come out of the serials mode .He ought to work hard on screenplay & direction .

On the whole , Rettai Suzhi is much ado about nothing.

Bottomline : Juvenile.

2/5

PAIYYA

My Review: PAIYYA



There are certain movies you come out of the cinema hall neither liking it nor disliking it. As a reviewer one may not have any motivation to write review for such movies for it is difficult to talk about a movie when one neither like or dislike it. ”Paiyya” is one such movie from which one returns with an empty feeling.

Except for the fact that the movie’s setting which is a travel from Bangalore to Mumbai nothing else is novel in the movie. We have a heroine eloping from home to escape a forced marriage ; a good for nothing , jobless , penniless hero falling in love at first sight as if it is the only goal of his life ; a very dangerous thug whom even the powerful police of Mumbai are scared of easily brought down by the hero to mention a few are all drawn from commercial movies which we have seen for ages.

Thing that goes for the movie are sparkling music of Yuvan Shankar Raja , wonderfully done stunt choreography by Kanal Kannan captured nicely by cinematographer Madhi & dazzling onscreen chemistry of Thamanna & Karthi . If only the old fashioned screenplay of Lingusamy was something fresh movie would have gone places . Yes the screenplay is racy but it wouldn’t have made any one guessing what will happen on screen for the happenings there are too obvious for any one who had seen Tamil movies of the yore.

Karthi is dashing but compared to his previous two movie here he has nothing to do as far as the acting is concerned & same goes for Thamanna too . Milind Soman is wasted in such a banal role.

Kanal Kannan’s stunts are stylish & are a treat to the eyes especially the car chases with the one just before the interval just too good. It wouldn’t have made such an impact if not for some amazing cinematography from Madhi . He has done a stupendous job too.

Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music is the major reason for the opening the movie got with all the songs topping the charts for couple of months now. “Thuli Thuliyai ” , “Yen Kadhal Solla ” & “Adada adada adai mazhada” are gems.

On the whole , “Paiyya ” joins the list of movies which after being hyped a great deal turning out to be a bummer .

Bottomline : Very average .

2.5 / 5

ANGADI THERU

My Review: ANGADI THERU





“Angadi Theru” is a worthy follow-up to “Veyil ” from Vasanthabalan. Movie captivates the audience with it’s authentic portrayal of life beneath all those humongous shops that adorn Ranganathan street , ever-busy buzzing locality of T.Nagar. It depicts the joys , sorrows , trials & tribulations that embellish such shops. It is definite that anyone who happen to watch this movie will undergo a change in their outlook towards the salespersons or else their anatomy is devoid of any modicum of flesh. And credit for it goes to the writer-director Vasanthabalan,

Movie has many moments of emotional intensity that will surely draw a tear or two & not many may succeed in coming out of the hall without a secretion of their lachrymal gland in any of those scenes. Even in couple of sequences which is intended for humour will draw tears like that one in the mess when Mahesh & Pandi go to lunch for the first time . But the movie can’t be categorized as a tear jerker for it has many sequences that may uplift our spirits. The manner in which a jobless youth invent a job for himself , many of those one-liners from that visually impaired elder , Chinnaponnu’s response to her baby’s condition (this one brought the auditorium to raptures ) , the finale , so on.

On the down side , there is overt villainisation of the supervisor & owner of the shop .Also pathos seem to be contrived at some sequences especially the fate of the heroine towards the end . But it is heartening to note that this time no one dies in the end which is the wont usually in such “realistic” movies.

That the movie is capable of drawing myriad of emotions from the viewers is not only due to the Writing & direction but the credit must also go to all the actors who have done very good jobs themselves. Mahesh has belied his inexperience & comes out with a knockout performance as does Anjali who looks very beautiful after “Katradhu Tamil” (albeight without any make-up which made her look pathetic in other movies of her’s.) Pandi , A.Venkatesh , Pazha.Karupaiah , the one’s who come as Shopia Mary , Sowndarapandian & his lover, & each and every small characters that live through the street have all have been pillars of strength to the director’s vision.

“Aval appadi ondrum” stays in our heart long after the movie is over while backgroung score of Vijay antonym may have been better for it gets repetitive.

During the 150 minutes we are theatre we get a feeling of as though we are in the Ranganathan street & traveling with those characters & credit for that must go to the cinematographer Richard Maria Nathan along with the director. Count on him , he will sure go places.

On the whole , “Angadi Theru ” is reason why people still classify movies as ART.

Bottomline: Hard-hitting.

4/5.

MATHIYOSI

My Review : MATHIYOSI





Nandha Periyasamy’s “Mathiyosi ” based on the caste conflicts that are abound in the south Tamilnadu is a well written movie but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Direction is pathetic ,old fashioned , full of clichés & stereotypes which leaves the movie high & dry . As far the story is concerned , though it follows the movies like “Renigunta ” ,”Subramanyapuram” in dealing with youth bent on violence , Nandha Periyasamy’s social consciousness shows in his pragmatic portrayal of the caste discrimination & it’s ramifications.

Another strong point of the movie is the fine acting from the actors concerned. Harish , Gokul , Alex , Shammu & Ravi Mariyah have done wonderfully well while others are not left behind. Here & there overt histrionics take over which spoil the good work done in general.

Guru Kalyan’s music has nothing in it to write about while Vijay Armstrong’s camera work is laudable.

One gets a doubt while watching the movie why director has chosen the title “Mathiyosi” for he has not that himself except for his touch on the casteism . Movie starts of well & intriguing in the first half but once the story travels to Chennai it fails to sustain interest.

On the whole , “Mathiyosi ” can be watched once especially for it’s noble intentions.

Bottomline: Not different .

3/5

KACHERI ARAMBAM

My Review :KACHERI ARAMBAM



Jiiva’s next after “SMS” which has hit screens after a long hiatus “Kacheri Arambam” is written & directed by debutant Thiraivannan . Movie can be talked upon by dividing it into two separate entities as BI & AI (that is before interval & after interval). BI it is like a rollercoaster ride which takes of swiftly & keeps you engaged right through the half ,before you notice 1hour & 15minutes elapses. But AI , movie becomes a giant-wheel ride where the story comes back to the same point again & again which becomes rather tedious to watch & this 1hour &15minutes takes ages to end not until one gets really infuriated at the going-ons.

Thiraivannan does shows flair for comedy which he has done admirably nicely but his screenplay in the second half plays the killjoy .Also the manner in which his hero goes on conversing endlessly makes one irritated after a point of time. He must spruce up his storytelling ability throughout the length of the movie top sustain for himself a position in Tamil cinema.

Jiiva does his part well though his unabated talkativeness gets under your skin after a point. But one is really flummoxed at why most of the young heroes try to imitate the mannerisms of Vijay while doing comedy scenes. After we have seen that with Vishal & Bharath in the last couple of weeks , now it is the turn of Jiiva.

Poonam Bajwa doesn’t have much to do though her character is pivotal to the story .She looks cute .

J.D.Chakravarthy has a run-of-the mill kinda role which he does justice to but it is upsetting to see such talent wasted like this.

Vadivelu does succeeds in evoking few laughs here & there but he is getting very repetitive nowadays .

D.Iman’s music is stale though “Kadavule Kadavule” song is a very good mellifluous piece.

Cinematographer of the movie is Vaithy whose lighting goes haywire .

Jaishankar must have chopped off some scenes mercilessly in the second half which now will be done by the theatre operators themselves.

On the whole , “Kacheri Arambam” starts of well until the intermission after which it becomes prosaic. Watch it for few empty laughs or two.

Bottomline : “Kacheri Arambam” 2nd half “Rambam”…

2.5/5

MUNDHINAM PARTHENEY

My Review: MUNDHINAM PARTHENEY




“Mundhinam Pertheney ” has no big names either in the acting front or behind the scenes but it is one of the better takes on “Love” in the recent times which is as real as it can possibly get. Magizh Thirumeni debuts with this one & he shows a lot of potential in presenting a tale pleasantly & interestingly without any uncalled-for histrionics or melodrama making it a worthwhile movie watching experience. He should surly make his “Guru” Goutham Vasudev Menon proud & also show him thing or two how love can be portrayed on screen without any undue over the top moments.

Movie does starts of rather amateurishly & sluggishly without anything worthwhile happening onscreen but once Sanjay & Ektha meet & get into a relationship the movie takes of nicely with a very interesting climax to boost. That reality bites & not always every love has a happy ending is told in a poetic manner. Also the director has not taken undue efforts to justify the actions of the lead pair with is what makes the movie intriguing.

On the downside , the pace may have been taken care of while songs sprung up here & there without any validation for their appearance which does gets under one’s nerves after a point of time. One gets a feeling that there are 1 or 2 songs too many , though the songs are pleasant to here .

Arvind as the protagonist is adept with boy next door features .Among the heroines Ektha is competent while the other two Lizna & Pooja passes muster.

Sai Prasanth & that talkative girl of the gang manages to generate heartfelt laughter without any double-entendres or toilet jokes which is refreshing indeed.

In Thaman’s music all songs are melodious & good to hear while he is OK with his Background score.

Jayanan Vincent’s Cinematography is proficient while editing may have been sharper.

On the whole , when one entered the cinema hall without any expectation , “Munthinam Partheney ” comes across as a whiff of fresh air. Go for it & enjoy the pleasantness of realism .

Bottomline: Pleasant .

3.5/5

THAMBIKKU INDHA OORU

My Review : Thambikku Indha Ooru.





“ Thambikku Indha Ooru “ is a poor advertisement for Tamil Cinema .One wonders what the makers were thinking (whether there was any thinking at all ) while filming or what made the actors sign the movie in the first place. Anyone who has a semblance of sense would not have ventured into such a pathetic piece of *censored* .

Badri who gave a decent “Veerappu” is at the helm of this wretched movie. One wonders is it he who directed that movie for he shows no signs what so ever.

Barath tries to do whatever he likes in Vijay , may be this “Chinnathalapathy” wants soon to go “Ilayathalapathy” way..but he must realize that he himself is trying hard to maintain his form nowadays.

Sana Khan has nothing much to do while Madalssa appears in very minor role of a glorified extra.

Vivek keeps the audience in splits throughout the movie . It is one his better movies of late .

Prabhu is wasted in a banal role while it is really sad to see Ranjith , one of the most talented actors in Tamil Cinema doing such an abject role.

Dharan’s music is below average while technically movie is amateurish to put it mildly.

On the whole , TIO is a pathetic piece of *censored* .

Bottomline : Bad , Worse , Worst.

1/5

AVAL PEYAR THAMIZHARASI

My Review : Aval Peyar Thamizharasi




“Aval Peyal Thamzharasi ” written & directed by debutant Meera Kathiravan has a simple story with a lucid screenplay aided by very good acting by everyone concerned & wonderful music and crystal clear cinematography . But after the movie gets over one gets a feeling of something is missing. Strength of these kinds of realistic movies lies in the unpredictability of the story line which is what is lacking in APT .Movie is predictable except for the turn of events that take place in & around the interval.

Meera Kathiravan shows excellent visual sense with good & simplistic story telling capability. What lets him down is that most of the scenes & situations here are oft repeatedly seen in movie of this genre like “Poo ” , “Thendral ” , “Azhagi”..etc. Only difference here is that instead of a negative climax which most young directors have a penchant for ( even if it looked forced in ) , Kathiravan has gone in for a happy ending here rightly so. But how long can we watch young kids doing all mischief & indulging in village games in a song, wailing mother, strict grandfather , comedy village government teacher , ….in the name of reality. One wish young directors who want to make realistic movies must explore many uncharted territory which are abound in our country side.

Jai has good scope & he has made use of it very well. The hard work he has put in his looks matching various age he plays & the body language and expressions which is diverse for all the three stages are done exceedingly well. The thing is that he must follow such good performances by equally good ones to stay in the race.

New face Nandhagi belies the fact that she is indeed a new face. She gets the emotions & expressions right in most of the places. Yet another talent unearthed. Whether she is made use of properly by Tamil cinema remains to be seen.

Kanja Karupu raises few laughs while Theodare Baskaran , Rama , one who plays grandfather & brother of the heroine , all have done commendable work.

P.G.Muthaih’s cinematography is as good as it was in “Poo” .Darkness play an important part in the movie & he has picturised it well.

Vijay Antony’s music & background score is yet another add-on for the movie where he has tried a new genre which he has not tried yet. “Guju Gugu Goods Vandi ” , “Vadakka Thekka” & “Othaiyadi Pathiyil ” are good numbers.

On the whole , APT is a good try but fails to move you.

Bottomline : Sincere but simplistic .


3/5

Theeratha Vilayattu Pillai

My Review : Theeratha Vilayattu Pillai




Vishal is fast becoming one of those who have immense potential but losing it all in the crucial aspect of script selection which is pathetic to say the least. His latest offering “Theeratha Vilayattu Pillai” is a case in point.

Written & Directed by debutant Thiru , it is boring movie with a contrived plot with pathetic pageant of male chauvinism both in the story line as well in the dialogues which gets under one’s nerves so much that half way through the movie instead of rooting for the hero , the whole theatre is seen rooting for one of the three unfortunate girl who is shone with guts & gumption to challenge the hero. So dismal is the writing that the hero ends up as a villain unexpectedly (for the writer that is).

Vishal has tried his hands on comedy but he must understand that in order to stay put in the industry one must not ape others but must develop own style & methods. Here all he does is copy Vijay’s manner of dialogue delivery & style .

Among the three heroines Neetu Chandra is the only one with scope & she does justice to her role .She needs to have a look at her Make-up though.

Others in the cast like Tanushree Datta & Sarah Jane don’t have much to do. Prakash Raj comes once again in a oft repeated role of a thug with a Madhurai background.

Shanthanam is the one who keeps the audience glued to the seat in the first half though he disappears in the second half.

Among Yuvan Shankar Raja’s songs “Ennal Jannal Vanadha ” & “ Poo mudhal pen varai ” are hum-worthy.

Arvind Krishna’s cinematography is routine & supports the story without any undue gimmickry except for the action sequences.

Thiru shows some potential in the comical situations but his writing lets him down a great deal.

On the whole , T V P is a yawn.

Bottomline : Chauvinism galore.

2/5

Aasal

My Review:Aasal




“Too many cooks spoil the broth” .The proverb is apt for the movie “Aasal” .

“Misnomer” is the appropriate word that best describes the title.

“Waste of time” is the feeling one gets after coming out of the theatre watching this insipid fare.

Watching it one gets a feeling that “Aasal ” might have been made by a person who used to write & direct those infamous Tuesday evening serials in Doordarshan Podhigai backed by a superb cinematographer &producers with lots of money to spend & freedom to film the movie wherever he likes – France , Malaysia , …..even the Moon.

3 persons are credited with Story, Screenplay & dialogues but even if one of them where aware of what they were doing, movie would have come across half decent . I am damn sure Saran has nothing to do with this pathetic writing & “direction”less movie .If he has actually been associated with the movie, then he must have done so in stupor.

Ajithkumar looks suave , stylish , elegant , debonair , classy…..am at loss of adjectives & that is all about him . By shedding his “Ultimate Star” tag AjithKumar has led by example for his peers to follow for which one has to salute the man but when his sobriquet “Thala” is used in each every opportunity , some reasonable but many a times contrived it makes one wonder in future we will have to put up with new usages like- “Thala” constable for ‘ head-constable ‘ , “Thala” light for ‘head-light’ , “Thala” ache for ‘head ache’………in all of his movies.

Sameera Reddy has more scope to perform in a trite role . Is she a cultural attaché of Indian embassy or an item-girl…. Bhavana’s is worse.

Generally acting in the movie is pedestrian with people like Kelly Dorjee & Rajiv Krishna more for comic relief while Yugi Sethu & Suresh are at best plain irritating .

Less said about the Music by Bharadwaj the better. Except “Dusyantha” rest of the songs are pathetic .


Prashanth D. Misale ,the cinematographer is the “Aasal” hero of the movie. His hard work is evident in each & every frame . Cinematography of the movie is on par with any of the international productions. Technically the movie is top grade. If only the brainy part of the movie was on par with it , “Aasal” would have become a cult movie .

On the whole , “Aasal” is anything but it.

Bottomline: Misnomer.

2/5

VINNAI THAANDI VARUVAYA

My Review:






After an average outing with “Varanam Ayiram” Gautham Vasudev Menon is back with “Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaya ” (VTV) with a heavy backing from A.R.Rahman’s music & power packed performance from the lead pair , Silambarasan & Thrisa.

Movie is a simple love story told in a straightforward narration without any derailment from the reality except for certain sequences here & there where overt drama & embellishment takes over. VTV is certainly one of Gautham’s best work . And the movie has a autobiographical tinge all over it which is for the director to clarify!

VTV is the best yet of Silambarsan. He has managed to come through unscathed shedding his unwarranted histrionics & taking up an understated route for once which has worked wonders. He wows the audience in many scenes, with the one sequence in New York when he sees Thrisha after a long time & have a conversation with her topping it all.

Thrisha is apt in the role of a young working professional, lover girl & a caring daughter caught between her lover & father. She also scores in the above mentioned sequence.

Among the support cast , the one who comes as the hero’s friend has succeeded in tickling the funny bones throughout the movie. Naga Chaitanya , K.S.Ravikumar & Samantha reprise their real life roles in the movie too.


Manoj Paramahamsa is the cinematographer & he has shot the movie pleasantly in keeping with the mood of the movie.

A.R.Rahman’s songs are already chartbusters with “Hosanna” , “Omana Penne” & “Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa” ringing the ears even now. His re-recording also elevates the movie’s feel. Only grouse is Gautham’s poor song picturisation , only area in which he remains a greenhorn . Heard A.R.Rahman has said to Gautham that it is the best song picturization for his songs yet . One wonders whether Gautham is lying or A.R.Rahman’s expectation threshold is so low.

On the whole, VTV is a right movie for the Valentine season .Go for it.

Bottomline : Feel good….

3.5/5

GOA

My Review : Goa





“Goa ” , A Venkat Prabhu Holiday – this how the movie is advertised & one need not think hard to decipher the true meaning behind it . Venkat Prabhu , the scriptwriter has had a gala time holidaying at the expense of Soundarya Rajnikanth with his buddies leaving Venkat Prabhu , the director high & dry . He somehow manages to scrap through by borrowing scenes , gags , dialogues et al from his previous 2 & manages to cheat the audience with a mindless ,brainless , soulless , story less , ..less, ..less, …less……..movie.

“Goa ” has no structure what so ever but hangs like a series of disjointed gags which gives one a feeling of watching assembly line comedy scenes in channels like Adhtiya or Siripoli rather than watching a full length feature film. It is really shocking whether the same person who enthralled the audience with couple of movies with taut & engaging screenplay is the man behind this humbug .

Among the actors Sampath shines in a very difficult role which he has done very diligently & dignifiedly. It is a tight rope walk for him for slight exaggeration may made it look like a caricature but he comes through with flying colours .

Premji Amaran like his elder bro tried to play it safe with what comes to him naturally but it does gets under the skins of the audience after a point of time. How long will we be able to watch the same routine again & again . It gets irritating after a while.

Others in the cast have nothing special to do but to look dapper & do some silly gags of their own. Much publicized glam-doll avatar of Sneha is a dam squib.

In Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music “Vailba Va va ” & the theme song are rocking the charts already & bound to stay on the top for long. But re-recording with additional support from Premji strictly follow the previous Venkat Prabhu movies with ample use of various songs & BGMs of yesteryear hits.

SakthiSaravan’s cinematography is breathtaking & showcases the beauty of Goa & Thailand is all it’s splendor.

Expectations were high on this one with Venkat Prabhu in line of a hattrick but the end result is dismal .

On the whole, better book a holiday in Goa this summer rather than venturing into theatres showing Venkat Prabhu’s Holiday & don’t forget to take DVDs of “Chennai 28” & “ Saroja ” ….

Bottomline : “ Enna Koduma Sir Idhu “……

2 / 5

TAMILPADAM

My Review: Tamilpadam



Folks, the wait is over. All those of you who were longing for a movie of Hollywood, Jupiterwood , Saturnwood standards , “Tamilpadam ” is your pick. What are you waiting for .Hop onto your bikes & speed straight to the theatres near you showing “Tamilpadam” .This is once in a lifetime experience & “Classic” of this magnitude is very ,very rare to come across in Tamil cinema.

Movie should be watched atleast thrice for you to get a foothold of such a difficult & complex script & the occult themes & messages abound in the movie. Who can’t afford such liberties don’t worry , in couple of days websites & various social networking sites like Orkut & Facebook will be full of discussions & theories “Decoding Tamilpadam”.


James Cameroons , Steven Speilbergs, QuentinTarantinos please give way . C.S.Amudhan has arrived & how . He has redefined the art of direction with his vision of new age cinema. Seamless confluence of history & contemporary as well as time machine & gravity defying sequences are sure to generate a WOW! from one & all & will surely leave the doyens of filmmaking chindown.C.S.Amudhan is here to stay.

Move over – all the “Mass ”/ “Ounce”/”Tonne ”/”Pound” heroes. “Agila Ulaga Superstar ” , “Eluchi Thalapathi” ,”Vice-Captain” Shiva has redefined Heroism. Here after every heroes will knell down with shame unable to match the charisma , style , talents of Shiva. Fairer sex are bound to drool over this next chocolate hero.The middle aged “T.V serial ” watching aunties have got their next “Chella pillai “(boy next door ). He also moves the elderly lot to tears with his emoting skills , especially when he is left high & dry searching for his parents & when he does finally meet them by singing their “family song.” Forgot to mention , he is the next “Kadhal Mannan ” –look out for his romantic scenes especially the “ Bharatham “ scene.

Disha Pandey is the most talented & most pretty faced heroine we have come across over a decade in Tamil cinema. She looks every inch a “Pachai, Manjal , Sivapu Tamizhachi “ & her lip sync is as “perfect” as it may get.Way to go girl & keep rocking. (By the way heard her fans have already started “Bhoomi puja ” for constructing a temple for her “near Trichy.”)

The onscreen chemistry of the lead pair is out of the world.Just sample the expressions these two have worked hard to get in the “Oh Maha Seeya ” sing especially at the “Lollaku dol dappi ma” sequence. Mind-blowing & epitome of romance which will move even those granite hearted of people.

Movie boasts of an ensemble cast of the most talented of youngsters around like “ Venniraiadai “ Moorthy , M.S.Baskhar , Manobala as younger buddies of the hero. Paravai Muniyamma comes in one of the most surprising & shocking characters we have come across in Tamil cinema so far & bound to generate goose bumps when she declares “Ellam pughazhum iraivanukkey..” . Other Gen-X talents like V.S.Raghavan , Shanmugasundaram have showcased their talents amply.

Kannan’s music is a classical mix of folk , melody & modern jazzy footnotes. “Pacha Tamilan ” is a foot tapping number with some amazing footwork by Shiva & very humble hero praising lines & “Karuthu”s. “Oh Maha seeya ” is delightful melody with a innovative & not heard before lyrics which is a tribute to Tamil loving people all over the world.

Nirav Shah’s cinematography amply supports the director’s vision . He excels in the action sequences with many spiral & booming shots.He has tried hard to conceal the dupe of the hero in the action sequences.

“Tamil Padam ” is a must watch for all those who used to watch only Siberian , Afghani , Ukrainian , Sudanese movies downloaded from Torrents & were longing for movies of such caliber in Tamil.

Those midgets who don’t like this movie just go to hell. You all don’t know even iota regarding movies. You better stay away.

Bottomline : Sema Kalaai....

3.5 / 5

NANAYAM

My Review:Nanayam



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bottomline : Honestly good.

3.5/5

KUTTY

My Review :Kutty.




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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the whole , “Kutty ” is boring .

Bottomline:

2.5/5

VETTAIKARAN

My Review: Vettaikaran




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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bottomline : Where is the script...

3/5