Dabangg 2

My review: Dabangg 2

Usually sequels carry forward story from where left off in the first part or would have a different story with the same main cast. In case of "Dabangg 2" it is the same story & screenplay but only this time with less vigour, more ridiculousness and way over the top action sequences. Agreed that one step into the cinema knowing what to expect but this is way too stale to taste.

Almost every sequence seems like a reprisal of the first part including the songs and their making. The fun & energy which made a pretty average script click in the first part is totally missing this time. The antagonists' are contrived, shallow and poorly written.

 The writer and the director are unsure of how to carry the movie forward. In the end they have settled for very primeval second half. When the heroine who just had a miscarriage after being assaulted by the Villain gives a emotionally charged speech from the hospital bed and the hero walks with dust flying around after a punch dialogue, one has to pinch oneself with disbelief how bankrupt the writers have become in Bollywood in general and Salman Khan movies in particular.

Salman Khan tries his best to carry a fragile script on his shoulder but this time even he can't redeem it. Sonakshi Sinha has nothing much to do in a even pettier role than the first part. Vinod Khanna & Arbaaz Khan reprise their roles which are older than hills. Prakash Raj can do these types of roles even in half sleep. Wonder why dubbing was used for him, it totally watered down the impact.

Sajid-Wajid are the music directors and the songs are average. Much hyped "Fevicol se" falls flat both musically and visually, far cry from the now legendary "Munni badnam". Aseem Mishra has captured the action sequences well. The action sequences though way over the top, the making is good. Anal Arasu is the stunt choreographer and he has done a tremendous job.

Arbaaz Khan is the director of the movie and the tentativeness of the debutant is evident. Dilip Shukla has scripted the movie but without his co-writer Abhinav Kashyap from the first part, this time his script lacks a punch.

On the whole, "Dabangg 2" is yet another reason why sequels to successful movie should never be tried.

Bottomline: Silly & boring

2/5

Kumki

My review: Kumki

Whether it is "Kokki", "Lee", "Ladam" or "Myna" Prabhu Solomon's movies are different from each other and the mainstream Tamil movies in their thought and execution. He also seeks to it that his movies are entertaining at the same time. Known for his gripping screenplay, Prabhu Solomon has slipped a bit this time with "Kumki".

The story and screenplay gives a feeling of something is missing. Though the backdrop is novel the story is old mundane boy meets a girl falls in love and the dilemma of one's good versus collective good. Though the ending is good, it looks a bit contrived.

Music and cinematography more than makes up for the writer-director's lapses. D.Iman and Sukumar are the real heroes of this movie and they sure would get lots of accolades for their works.

Boasting of the best musical album of the year "Kumki" seem to have got an opening mainly due to its songs. It has been a very long time since one witnessed audience growing crazy when the songs starts in a Tamil movie. Each song is greeted with applause and whistles. For Iman it is his career best. Even the background score is too good though most of it is the songs' BGM. Songs keep the audience going.

Another pillar of the movie is cinematography. It is career best for Sukumar too. The best visuals this year. Yes the story is set in a landscape which is rich in its natural splendor but it does need talent to showcase the same with such dexterity. Awards and accolades are awaiting this talented youngster.

Thambi Ramaiah is once again used well by Prabhu Solomon. Most part of the movie he keeps the audience entertained with his witty one-liners and nearing the climax he comes to his own with his emotive skills. Vikram Prabhu has worked hard but somehow the spontaneity is missing. Lakshmi Menon keeps up her good work following her debut "Sundarapandian". Here she doesn't get that much scope though. THe support cast of largely unknown actors have done their parts well.

The production team could have spent more time and money on the CG work. It is poorly executed especially in the climax fight sequences between the elephants.

"Kumki" is entertaining in parts, excellent music and brilliant cinematography makes the audience forget the deficiencies in the writing and execution. Definitely once watchable for its strengths mentioned though it kinda fails to live up to the expectations.

Bottomline : For splendid music & amazing visuals

3/5    

Neethane En Ponvasantham

My review: Neethane En Ponvasantham 

Goutham Vasudev Menon's romantic tracks have always been over the top, far from reality and mushy. "Vinnai Thandi Varuvaya" was a bit of revelation as he tried to tone down and became subtle. But with his latest "Neethane En Ponvasantham " Gautham has once again fallen behind with poor writing where artificiality  rules the roost.

One wonders how can anyone take up such real people, real situations and real emotions in such an artificial manner. Except for the last 20 minutes, nowhere one feel for the people onscreen or get their emotions reflected on to them. This is by far the most silliest and uninteresting Gautham movie ("Nadunissi Naigal" included).

To make matters worse, the soggy screenplay is plagued by utterly mushy dialogues which are throwback to the era of Mohan's and Murali's. What happened to cinema as a visual medium. Where emotions can be portrayed visually, Gautham plays easy by tiring and cliched dialogues. It gets irritating when his protagonist speaks pages on how he feels looking at his sweetheart or how he is missing her. It is as if there is a running commentary for each and every emotions with blatant neglect of acting or director's visual imagery.

As said earlier last 20 minutes that just starts with the "Satru munbu" song is the redeeming factor of the movie. Those are the few reels of this movie which is contemporary. It is very sad to hear audience burst into laughter hearing Ilayaraja croon a sad bit song when the Heroine just learns that Hero is engaged, blame it on the bad direction. Also the background score during that conversation especially when she gets to hear that he is engaged brings back memories of all those movies in the 70's and 80's, the same music one hears when it is revealed that some one is having cancer. But for that Ilayaraja's background score is one of the few factors that keeps one awake.

Jiiva is earnest, tries his level best to portray a confusing character which is sketched poorly. Samantha has lots of scope in her role and she has utilized it well. But none of them look school-kiddish in that school love episode. It is one of those rare movies in which Shanthanam fails to evoke even a little bit of smile forget laughter. What was that wannabe spoof on "Vinnai Thandi  Varuvaya", seriously!

Ilayaraja's songs are awesome to put it subtly. All songs except "Pudikala maamu" are captivating melodies. As always picturization of songs are poor, Gautham Menon stills lags behind in this aspect of his. Background score is good.

There are two cinematographers M.S.Prabhu and Om Prakash with additional cinematography by S.R.Kathir. Wonder what three cinematographers where doing but there is no hint of discontinuity. Once promising editor Anthony has become lazy in recent times, that continues with this one too.

Jointly written by Gautham Vasudev Menon and Reshma Ghatala story is okayish but the screenplay is poor and direction lazy. On the whole, "Neethane En Ponvasantham" is the scrawniest of Gautham Vasudev Menon's movies so far ("Nadunissi Naigal" included !) .

Bottomline: Ulagathula ethanaiyo padangal irunthum na yaen intha padatha parthaen...!!!

2.5/5

Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum

My review: Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum

Krish is one of the most promising young directors of Telugu cinema. His previous movies "Gamyam" and "Vedham" are not only critically acclaimed but also well received at the box-office too. He is a kind of director who addresses contemporary issues without compromising on the entertainment quotient. His latest movie "Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum" (KVJ) fails to live up the standards he has set for himself.

KVJ also address a socially relevant issue of illegal mines and exploitation of the natural resources but sadly it is used just like a pickle. KVJ in actuality is an full blown masala, good old revenge story of the protagonist settling his scores against the killer of his parents, a young man's fight for justice against the mighty antagonist.But the problem is that  Krish has totally got confused as to whether make it as a commercial masala or a classy his style of a movie. In the end he has done justice to neither.

A uninspiring storyline, unengaging screenplay, low entertainment values, poor comedy track and irritating item numbers (not one but two..!) leaves a bitter taste in the end. The action sequences lack a punch and the dialogues are mundane.

Rana has done a decent job. His histrionic skills has improved. Nayanthara is radiant, though she is on screen almost throughout the movie she doesn't have much scope to perform. Milind Gunaji in a beaten to bushes villainous role who ends up getting beaten black and blue though he is the most powerful man in Bellary is a big yawn. Brahmanandam fails to make any impact.

In Manisharma's music there isn't any good music number. Background score is good. Technically the movie is sleek and stylish. V.S.Gnanasekhar should get credit for most of it for his brilliant cinematography. CG work however could have been better.

On the whole, KVJ fails to pass muster.

Bottomline: Much ado about nothing.

2.5/5 

Edegarike

My review: Edegarike

"Edegarike" is an interesting movie written by Agni Shridhar and directed by Sumana Kittur. It has a very novel storyline and engrossing screenplay. It is the execution that lags behind but the script is so taut and good the final product is a once watchable flick.

"Edegarike" is an interesting tale of a friendship between two gangsters one killer and the other to-be-killed. The moral dilemma and the clash of personalities, one a ruthless killer without any morals and the other a righteous man who gets into the profession by quirk of fate. It makes up for a riveting watch with the movie under just two hours.

The movie moves at a steady pace  and keep one engaged throughout. There are no undue melodrama or over the top action sequences. Interestingly though it deals with the underworld and gang-wars there is only one action sequence. The movie explores more on the psyche of these people, their thought process, differing personalities, etc. So nice to see a movie that speaks about the humane aspect of the criminals without justifying their acts or glorifying the same.

Atul Kulkarni is brilliant as the morally correct Sridhar who is supposed to kill the protagonist but instead ends up becoming a good friend of him. The manner in which he has portrayed the mental agony and dilemma that he is faced with,  reaffirms the fact what a great actor he is. Aditya is no match for Atul but tries to keep his end engaged. Most of the movie he has the same blank expressions. Akanksha is pretty and does a decent job as a social activist who falls in love with the gangster. Movie has a strong support cast and they have all delivered their parts with aplomb.

Deepak Pundit is the music director and movie has just one song which is a shooting melody. His background score is adequate. Movie is shot by Rakesh, in spite of the constraints of the budget has done a pretty decent job.

Sumana needs to brush up her directorial skills. Such an enthralling script ought to have made more convincingly. Nonetheless the end product is way better than the other Kannada movies that got released in the recent times.

On the whole, "Edegarike" has gripping story and fine acting that warrants one time watch.

Bottomline: Gutsy

3/5

Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom

My review: Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom

"Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom" is based on real-life incident that happened in the life of the makers of this movie. It is astonishing to note that all that is shown in the movie has happened in real life which is unbelievable. The audacity of the writer-director debutant Balaji Tharaneetharan in making a movie with almost exclusively male protagonists with the heroine making her appearance only around two hours into the movie has to be lauded. Also he has done away with song routines though he had a chart-buster in "Oh crazy minnal".

 Another fact that needs applause is that Balaji has presented such a serious scenario in a humorous manner but in the same time not diluting it into tomfoolery. He has also been successful in casting people who look natural and apt, not only that he has extracted good performances from them too. Second half of the movie is a laugh riot with many situations making one laugh out loud.

But the main drawback of the movie is in it's making. The movie moves at its own pace and at many instances one get a feeling of watching a tele-serial. Nothing much happens in the first half and it seems like a life-time even though it runs for around one hour and few minutes only. Slowly the pace picks up in the second half but by that time most of the patience is lost. One wonders why the movie's running time is two hours and forty minutes. This movie must have never gone beyond two hours maximum. The impact would have been greater if that would have happened. In the end what could have been a crisp comedy-thriller has become a long-drawn-out tale which gets exasperating at times.

Vijay Sethupathy is good in the role of Premkumar who suffers from memory loss following a freak accident. His characterization may be annoying after a point of time but that is how annoying a patient with recent memory loss would get. Rajkumar as Balaji is too good with his hilarious body language and inimitable dialogue delivery. Bhagavathy Perumal who reprises his real life role is casual.(wonder how many can get such a chance of playing oneself onscreen) Vigneswaran as Sarasu is adequate. Gayathri has nothing much to do in a brief role. However she acquaints herself well in the brief time she is one screen.

Ved Shankar's average compositions "Excuse me, sir" and "Omlette potta" are picturized but his brilliant composition "Oh crazy minnal" is not. Sidharth Vipin's background score is average.

Premkumar who is the real life hero is the cinematographer. He has done it well though the technical values of the movie is not that great.

On the whole, "Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom" would have done wonders if the pace was a bit brisker and the length shorter. Nonetheless it is a worthy debut from the team and one could expect them to learn from the mistakes and give more memorable movies in the future. 

Bottomline:  Clean comedy caper.

3/5
   

Drama

My review: Drama

Maverick writer-director of Kannada film industry Yograj Bhatt's latest release "Drama" is a romantic-comedy which looses the plot after a promising start. Unlike his previous flicks this movie has a solid story but the screenplay goes haywire.

Movie seem to be shot in a hurry and edited in a jiffy for many scenes end abruptly and some others spring on from nowhere. Final product ends up like a collection of gags and comedy one-liners with few sentimental scenes which border on melodrama thrown in between. Easily "Drama" would end up as the least aesthetic of Yograj's movies so far. What happened to the subtlety of emotions and screenplay that he is a master of.

Other two aspects which are USPs of a Yograj movie, enchanting & stunning visuals and awesome music, both are missing in "Drama". Krishna who was the man behind those stunning visuals in "Mungaru Mazhe" disappoints big time this time. Technically the movie is tacky. And it is a routine musical score from V.Harikrishna. Except "Drama hitavachana" all other songs are not that impressive.

Yash has done a fine job as the protagonist, fun loving irresponsible guy who goes to college with intention of pursuing a girl who happens to meet him on her way to college! A hackneyed characterization. Satish Neenasam carries the movie on his shoulders with his brilliant comical one-liners which keeps the audience in splits. He acquaints himself well in the emotional scenes also. Radhika Pandit is good as ever as the haughty Nandhini with whom the protagonist is romantically involved. Her poor make-up sense continues. Sampath Raj is wasted in a cliched role while Sindhu Lokanath has nothing much to do. Ambarish appears in a bizarre cameo.

Unimaginative & logicless sequences, tiring screenplay, bad editing and poor technical values sums up Yogaraj Bhat's "Drama."

Bottomline: Amateur drama.

2.5/5

Talaash

My review: Talaash

Many average movies ends up being a better one by an intelligent climax twist. On the contrary for some others an insipid ending would spoil the good work done thus far. "Talaash" belongs to the later category. Written and directed by Reema Katgi with inputs from some big names in Bollywood like Anurag Kashyap, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, "Talaash" is an engrossing tale which keeps the viewers guessing right till the end before an unimaginative twist disappoints big time.

Screenplay could have been better. First half is good both pace wise and the manner in which the happenings hold one's attention. As with movies of such "whodunnit" genre, viewers are introduced to many characters on whom our suspicion is spewed upon. The second half of the movie slackens and the pace goes in for a toss. Nothing much happens with movie focusing more on the complicated grief reaction of the protagonist. It gets boring before the lackadaisical climax rubs salt in the already burning bruise. 

When Farhan Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap are the dialogue writers one would expect lot of sparks in the dialogues. Sadly expect for a couple of instances, the dialogues are pretty  ordinary and routine.

What makes the movie work in spite of the negatives is the actors who have done a great job. Aamir Khan is  as good as ever. In fact this role is child's play for an actor of his caliber. Rani Mukerji is good. It is a good comeback for her (who cared about "Aiyya" anyway.!) Kareena Kapoor is earnest in her effort. But the one actor who is just brilliant and make every one take notice is Nawazuddin Siddique. In fact if there is one role which can kindle emotional response from the audience it is his Tehmur.

Ram Sampath's background score is good and technically movie is brilliant. Mohanan is the cinematographer.

On the whole, "Talaash" what could have been a cult classic has got undone by  poor writing especially towards the end.

Bottomline: a pretty average fare

3/5

Neerparavai

My review: Neerparavai

Now and then one gets to see a movie which not only entertains but also makes you feel proud that you belong to the same state from which the movie has been made. Seenu Ramasamy's "Neerparavai" is one such movie which satisfies the audience in all aspects and is a must watch.

Seenu Ramasamy has taken two topical issues this time, alcohol addiction and the problems faced by the fishermen. It is so pleasing to see a director handling the alcohol addiction problem so scientifically. As far as my knowledge goes this is probably the first time alcohol addiction being talked about as a disease (which really it is) and not merely as a bad habit or a mere source for melodrama. Kudos to the team for the homework done in this respect, thus aiding in spreading awareness.

The first half deals mostly with the alcohol addiction problem in the backdrop of a very dignified and matured romantic track. In the second half Seenu focuses on the problems faced by the fishermen in the form of unscrupulous killing of the fishermen in the Bay of Bengal by the Srilankan Navy. Also the politics of and within the fishermen community, their livelihood, landscape, religion, mores and customs form the beautiful underlay of the story. "Neerparavai" can be recommended to anyone who wants to have an understanding of the social structure and functioning of the fishermen community in Tamilnadu.

Though the movie handles such heavy issues not for an instance that it become preachy and pontifical. The entertainment quotient of the movie is still high even without a forced in comedy track or an item number or action sequences. One is glued to the screen without any moment of dullness or boredom.

Dialogues which are razor sharp and insightful elevate the movie to another level. They are simple and colloquial yet  perceptive, intelligent and enlightening. The dialogues for Thambi Ramaiah and Padni are humorous and makes the audience laugh out loud albiet with abundant sharp connotations. Jayamohan and Seenu Ramasamy have jointly written the dialogues.

Many movies with very good paper work fail to evoke any response mainly due the inability to translate it on screen with the same amounts of impact. One of the main reason for it is the acting. In "Neerparavai" the acting is brilliant. Vishnu is his career best role thus far had lived the character of Arullapansamy. As an alcohol addict in the first half and a hard working lover boy who against all odds comes up in life by sheer hard work before destiny plays spoilsport, Vishnu comes across as a talented actor from whom we can expect many such memorable roles in the future. Sunaina is just brilliant. Along with Anjali, Sunaina is the most talented actress that Tamil Cinema can fell proud of currently. It is a pity that she has not got her due so far and she must henceforth choose her movies cleverly. Else we would miss a gifted actress.

The support cast is filled by powerful lineup of talented people led by Nanditha Das, Saranya Ponvannan, Samuthirakani, Thambi Ramaiah, Pandi, Vadivukarasi, Azhagamperumal, Anupama Kumar and "Poo" Ram. Saranya as the protagonist's mother makes her role a memorable one once again with her effortless acting. She keeps the audience in good humor throughout. She has become one of the best supporting actresses in the country may be counterpart of Prakash Raj among females. Another person who stays in our mind long after the movie is over is "Poo" Ram. Seenu has touched upon the dynamics of mother-son and father-son relationship very well.

"Para paravenna paravai" (all the three versions), "Mennuku " and "Devan magale" are very good melodious numbers by N.R.Raghunanthan with astounding lyrics by Vairamuthu. However background score could have been better.

Balasubramaniem is the cinematographer. He has captured the various colours and hues of the sea in accordance to the mood of the story which is a novel concept he has employed. Technically the movie is good.

On the whole, "Neerparavai" is one of the best movies this year not only in Tamil but in India as a whole.This year again few National awards are on the cards for this talented team.

Bottomline: Best Tamil movie of the year

4/5

Ammavin kaipesi

My review: Ammavin Kaipesi

Written, shot and directed by Thankar Bachan, "Ammavin Kaipesi" is the least interesting and most amateurish of his movies. For a person who gave some very good earthy movies like "Azhagi", "Thendral", "Solla Marandha Kadhai", "Pallikoodam" and "Onbathu Roobai Notu", "Ammavin Kaipesi" is a shocker.

Neither the story is interesting nor the making makes it passable. In fact the making makes the pedestrian story line unbearable. The direction and the style of film making is outdated and stoops down to ridiculously low level. Wonder what has happened to once promising creator.

Except for the two female leads, Iniya and Meenal, all others in the cast are poor. Shanthanu tries a lot but in vain. Thankar Bachan is very artificial while Revathi who plays the central character of the protagonist's mother is  overtly dramatic. All others in the cast are miscast.

"Enna senji pora" is a good melody number from the debutant music director, Rohit Kulkarni. His background score is prosaic.

Thankar Bachan, the cinematographer too has not done up to his mark.

Thankar Bachan has always tried his level best to showcase the culture and livelihood of people from unexplored parts of Tamil Nadu in Tamil cinema. In this movie the landscapes, people, culture and customs of people of Salem-Dharmapuri- Krishnagiri area is dealt by him. If only the story was a bit interesting and the making more prudent, "Ammavin Kaipsei" would have passed muster.

On the whole, "Ammavin Kaipesi" is torturous two and half hours.

Bottomline : Out of order.

1.5/5

Routine Love Story

My review: Routine Love Story

"Routine Love Story" is a romantic comedy from Praveen Sattaru who's debut flick "LBW" was critically acclaimed and well received by the audience. What could have been a really nice take on the current generation's perception of falling in love and making it work is watered down by really ridiculous and childish comical elements. The main plot of the love-hate-love relationship between the lead pair is portrayed realistically and interestingly.

Though it is christened "Routine Love Story" the screenplay is fresh. The initial pact that the lead pair get into about knowing each other before falling in love and when they realize that  they have fallen in love with each other(which is shown not as a moment but a process that happens over a period of time) are shown like how it happens in the lives of  current generation's youngsters.

Movie's biggest plus is the lead pair and their crackling chemistry. Sundeep Kishan and Regina Cassandra have done their parts to perfection. Especially Regina is excellent. She comes across as a natural performer and she looks damn cute too. Sundeep has also done his part well. The trio who play his friends are first-class while the comedy team led by M.N.Narayana are let down by juvenile writing.

Micky J Meyers' music is good though it reminds of many of his previous compositions. Suresh Bharghav's cinematography is adequate and the movie as a whole is technically okay, could have been better.

Praveen Sattaru who came into prominence with his previous movie has tried to live up to the name with his second venture too. He has tried to repeat with the concept which he seems to be comfortable with in his second venture too. He does succeeds to some extent. He could have tightened up his script a bit more and should have done away with those irritatingly poor sequences involving the heroine's family. Then it would have become as memorable as his first one.

On the whole, "Routine love story" merits a one time watch mainly for the lead pair's chemistry which lights up the screen.

Bottomline: Routine rom-com

3/5

Life of Pi

My review: Life of Pi

Based on a novel by Yann Martel of the same name, "Life of Pi" is an abstract piece of work which people with straight rational thinking mind would find it difficult to comprehend or enjoy. For non-believers and scientifically oriented souls this movie would test their patience. It is almost a religious propaganda, at least without  taking the sides of any religion. So the subject matter and the content right away disinterested me and hence I would like to abstain from reporting on it further. The reference of sort of Lord Vishnu helping the marooned Pi in realizing his purpose of life in the form of a carnivorous island is farfetched and a big yawn.

Technically the movie is marvelous. The cinematography (Claudio Miranda), CG and VFX work and the background score (Mychael Danna) are astounding in making it a worthwhile watching experience visually and aurally. The 3D is done without any gimmicks that would hurt the eyes or bring out unnecessary thrills, except for one scene in which the tiger just sprung towards the viewers. The various shades, hues, character of the sea is captured so well that after a point the sea becomes one of the main characters of the movie.

Casting wise the movie boast of a mixture of veterans and novices all of whom have done their parts well. Suraj Sharma is brilliant, comes out as a natural talent. Irrfan Khan is dependable as usual while Tabu though doesn't have much to do looks radiant. The Royal Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, the animated tiger in one of the best VFX work one can get to see.

All said and done, though the movie is compelling visually since it was difficult to have the same amount of involvement cognitively from a non-believer's point of view, movie can't be enjoyed wholesomely by them as the believers would do.

Bottomline: Skewed interpretation of  natural phenomenon in the believers' point of view.

3/5

Poda Podi

My review: Poda Podi

"Poda podi " is a romantic-comedy written and directed by debutant Vignesh Shivan starring Silambarsan aka STR and Varu Sarathkumar in the lead. Movie starts of very tentatively with draggy screenplay and amateurish direction. First half an hour is almost like watching an amateur drama. But thankfully the movie picks up from there and gets better and better, the emotional roller-coaster culminating with an end that would bring smile in the face of the viewers.

Good aspect of this movie is that Vignesh has refrained himself from taking sides between the archaic and chauvinistic hero and achievement oriented and practical heroine. Thankfully the sermonizing about the virtues of Tamil culture and how Tamil girl is expected to lead her life is cut short and we get to hear both the sides of the story.

Dialogues are from the casual  lingo that youth currently use. Vignesh can be excused for few of the misogynistic preachy dialogues because the hero gets it back from the heroine whenever it warrants.

STR  is self-conscious in the first half trying hard to come up with a restrained act. In the second half he is very good. Be it jealousy, anger, love, fatherly affection, angst, or pathos he comes up trumps. Especially his outburst in front of his wife's house is one of the best scene by him in his career. Varu is excellent. She is more casual in her portrayal and she does a very good job in the emotional scenes too. Her voice is added advantage to her role for it brings in novelty factor. It is heartening to see both the lead pair doing so well in dance after a very long time (May be after Vijay-Simran pair). It is a treat to see them dance in the "I am kuthu dancer" song with both outperforming one another. Varu is a good addition to Tamil Cinema which is scarcely populated with Tamil actresses.

Shobana is wasted in a half-backed role while Ganesh is strictly okay.

Dharan's songs are already rocking the charts. "Hare rama" and "Poda podi" are awesome melodious numbers. "I am a kuthu dancer " and "Love panlama venama" are foot-tapping spiced up with good moves.
However his background score is pretty average.

Duncan Telford is the cinematographer & technically the movie is sound.

Vignesh Shivan seem to be a quick learner. His grasp over the medium improves as the movie progresses which is evident on screen. At many places one can get a feeling that happenings are superficial but may be the director might have felt it right that way.

On the whole, if one can excuse the initial amateurishness, "Poda podi" is a neat rom-com that might satisfy the youthful crowd.

Bottomline: STR's worthy follow-up to VTV.

3/5 

Thuppakki

My review: Thuppakki

Before I review Vijay’s latest Diwali movie “Thupakki” let me give you the background of what has been happening before its release. After a string of not so successful ventures the distributers and theatre owners started to grumble about buying Vijay’s movies. Some even demanded the actor to compensate for their losses (which is atrocious to say the least). There was a time in which to release his movies hassle-free was a big achievement in itself. But since “Kavalan” happened last year amidst lot of hegemony and acrimony each of his movies have become a bigger hit than the preceding ones viz., “Velayudham” & “Nanban”. The time has changed and distributers and theatre owners started reprising their faith in his movies. Will “Thupakki” strengthen their faith further..?

Second point I have to make is that this year is bad for all top heroes and their “BIG” movies. Except for “Nanban”, all other movies fell on the wayside leaving the distributers and theatre owners with huge losses. These are times in which they are all apprehensive about buying a big star movie for huge sums for fear of another loss. Lots of hard backdoor negotiations went through before the movie got released in these many theatres. Will the movie save them of their blushes and bruises...??

During that lean phase that Vijay went through every tom, dick and harry became self-confessed intellectuals trying to micro analyse his movies and him personally. Whatever he did was mocked by these pseudo-guardians of Tamil cinema. (Most of them were hard core hypocrites because when it came to the movie in which their favourite heroes acted they conveniently overlooked the same things) Will “Thupakki” would be that movie which slaps them right in their faces..???

A.R.Murugadoss was hailed as one of the most promising directors in India after both his Tamil and Hindi versions of “Ghanjini” became huge hit in the respective languages. But last year after his below-average showing in “7 am Arivu” people started to question his capabilities. Will he redeem himself this time with “Thupakki“exactly a year later..????

“”Thupakki” has answered these entire questions in the affirmative and how..??!!! Read on.

Written and directed by A.R.Murugadoss, “Thupakki” tells us the story of an army man who takes up the mission of eradicating the sleeper cells in Mumbai. He does it almost single-handedly with style and panache, brawn and brain, Tamil movie style. A.R.Murugadoss is back to his old form dishing out an engaging story with almost racy screenplay aided by a best technical team and above all Vijay, that one man entertainment troop. 

Movie is not without its share of flaws and logical loopholes, as does many great makers’ movies are. But what make them click is that they are masters in camouflaging these flaws by a racy narration which leaves the viewers not that much time to think while you are watching the movie. Here A.R.Murugadoss succeeds in doing the same.  He flounders in the romantic portion which is marginally better than his previous very dreary “7 am Arivu”. But there few enjoyable portions in between also.

There are at least two or three “wow!” moments in the movie which sure would bring goose bumps in most of the viewers. Pre-interval portion is one of the best adrenaline rush scenes in recent times. Another one which warrants mentions is when Vijay emerges out of smoke after shooting one of the terrorists to save the kidnapped girls. These scenes along with the racy screenplay would ensure success. Also the heroism in this movie is not engineered but appears along the flow of the script. 

Dialogues are another strong point in the movie. There are many hard-hitting dialogues that extol the Indian army and the sacrifices of the army men. Also there are couple of enjoyable humorous dialogues coupled with Vijay’s excellent comic timing that rocks the theatre.

Technically it is one of the best Vijay movies.  Santhosh Sivan needs no praise for this movie is like child’s play for the great man. His candid shots especially are noteworthy. Srikar Prasad’s editing is another astounding aspect of the movie. It is not all racy, where there is need for the pace to slow down he does it with proficiency.

Vijay is excellent in a very casual portrayal of an army man accidentally caught in a mission. His body language, Hindi and English diction, comic timing, agility in action sequences and subtle acting makes it one of the best work from him in the recent times next to “Nanban”. Kajal Agarwal is gorgeous and dances well, though in terms of acting she has nothing much to do. Vidyut Jamwal is excellent, he is more of a Hero material than Villain though he has done a very good job here. Jayaram and Sathyan lend good support.

Harris Jayaraj’s background score is one of his best in recent times. It makes sure that right amount of adrenaline rush happens in the most crucial of moments in the movie. “Google google” and “Kutti puli kootam” are awesome dance numbers while “Vennilave” is a delectable melody. “Antartica” is picturized interestingly while “Alaika laika” has good dance movements. “Poivarva” is a heart-rending number rightly placed.

Agreed there are few moments in the movie that slackens the flow but the larger picture satisfies the audience to a great deal. May be the songs may irritate a few, but when you have a proficient dancer like Vijay, gorgeous damsel like Kajal and above all awesome songs from Harris Jayaraj why wouldn’t anyone have songs in their movies.

On the whole, 2012 would be remembered as the year in which all the big stars of Tamil cinema fell by the wayside except for this one man, Vijay who has hit bull’s-eye not once but twice.

Bottomline: Paapaakala konjam thalli poi vilayadunga...!!!  

3.5/5 

200th Tamil movie review

Looking forward to my 200th Tamil movie review with "THUPAKKI"......

                            

Looper

My review: Looper

"Looper" Rian Johnson's sci-fi actioner that deals with time travel is not your regular mindless action movie. And it is not intended to tease your brain with the concept of time travel either. It is almost philosophical without being a boring, long drawn out arty movie. It is an action movie but the main confrontation is between the present and future self of the protagonist, between selfish interest and the larger good for the society.

Many movies have used the concept of time travel but here the same is used in a cognitively simple manner for the viewer to follow. And main focus is not on the time travel but as i said earlier, it is a battle for survival between the present and the future life of the same person which is very intriguing thread to make a movie on. Movie starts of like an usual action movie with time travel concept to spice up things. But when the concept of "closing the loop" which means killing self from the future by the person in the present surfaces the movie becomes interesting and engaging.

Once Bruce Willis, who plays the future self of Joseph Gordon-Levitt appears, the confrontation and cat and mouse game between the two makes up for a riveting viewing. With umpteen twists and turns, the writers keep you guessing till the end with a thoughtful end.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the present Joe, the protagonist of the movie with a lot of gray shades is very good.  Though he doesn't have much facial reactions to make, he is able to convey his emotions to the viewers nonetheless. Bruce Willis is good too as the future Joe, though his screen space and scope is lesser. Emily Blunt is brilliant.

Steve Yadlin's cinematography and Nathan Johnson's background score enhance the story's impact.

If your are the type who doesn't mind in being cognitively alert while watching a movie at the same time enjoy  slam-bam action, then "Looper" should be your pick.

Bottomline: Creative and humane sci-fi movie

3.5/5

Ted

My review: Ted

Seth MacFarlane's "Ted" is a fantasy adult-comedy, that takes itself very lightly. Hence it is imperative that the viewers should also must take it lightly, enjoy the swear words & profanities, routine love vs friendship battle with lots of laughs and Flash Gordon, Sam J.Jones. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and Seth MacFarlane in the lead, "Ted" is not a must watch but not a pushover either.

First thing first. If you expect, since it has a fantasy element and one of the protagonists is a teddy bear, the movie to be cutesy and goody-goody then you are in for a jolt. This teddy is brash, loud, uncouth and promiscuous. Nonetheless you would instantly fall in love with it/"him" for he is not pretentious or "human".  The movie is strictly for the adult audience mainly because of the usage of strong explicit language throughout the movie. In that way movie stays clear of regular Hollywood rom-coms.

Except for the bold dialogues, movie is a routine story of a man's struggle to choose between his girl-friend and his best buddy. Seth MacFarlane is the hero of the movie. He has brought life to the teddy with his voice and keeps the movie going with his indomitable dialogue delivery. Without the teddy and Seth, movie would have been an usual movie with a routine storyline.

Mark Wahlberg is sincere in his effort as the "still-not-yet-THE-man" protagonist. Mila Kunis is adorable as ever.

"Ted" is your regular heart-warming "boy-finally-becoming-a-man" story, "bro-com" made in the narrative style of a rom-com. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but if you can brave the profanities, then "Ted" will surely make you smile in the end.

Bottomline: Watch it with your "BRO"

3.5/5

Argo

My review: Argo

A movie based on one of the most audacious rescue operations in history is bound to be overtly dramatic and lionizing. But Ben Affleck's "Argo" is not. It tries to be as objective as possible within the constraints of a commercial cinema with a few cinematic liberties which is understandable. It is astonishing to think of that a mission which appears so fancy and ridiculous on paper was actually carried out, that too in 1979-80 and successfully at that.

Movie never tries to take sides and be "patriotic". There itself the writer Chris Terrio and director Ben Affleck stand apart. They have also not tried to make it an adrenaline pumping action adventure. Rather they allow the story to unfold and gradually building up the tension in the viewers which leads on to a happy ending. Though one knows how the story would end, cant't escape the sense of jubilation that come into one's psyche as the movie ends. Sense of respect for the actual people involved gets higher when they show the photographs of them in the end credits.

As said earlier though the movie moves at a very laid back pace, it keeps the viewers engrossed to it throughout. Though the movie is set almost three decades back, it is still relevant considering how US has time and again done similar blunders, screwing many countries all along. And by calling spade a spade, team "Argo" has shown courage and honesty which deserves to be lauded.

Ben Affleck has also done the lead role of Tony Mendes, the hero of this rescue operation. He is uptight throughout the movie, may be the real Tony Mendes might have been that kind of a person. He doesn't show much emotions. It is a very restrained portrayal. Rest of the cast have ably supported Ben to give us one of the most memorable movie of the year.

Technically movie is brilliant, shot in the old 80's style, cinematography sets the mood. Rodrigo Prieto is the cinematographer. Alexandre Desplate's background score complements the story very well.

One the whole, "Argo" is a must watch, one is bound to get goose bumps in the end. Watch out for the Academy awards, except for the acting honours, it might sweep the others.

Bottomline:  An  astonishing "Mission impossible".

4/5

Cloud Atlas

My review: Cloud Atlas

Every now and then comes a movie which one can't watch passively. One has to be really active, using the grey matter to put the pieces together to get a complete picture. Even then one should have done their homework well to aid in which piece to put where. Else when you get out of the theater you would be muddled with confusion of what has happened over the past 3 hours. "Cloud Atlas" is one such movie which teases your intelligence and very difficult to comprehend what is going on, however intelligent one is.

Touted to be one of the most expensive film ever, it is adapted from a novel of the same name by David Mitchell. Written and directed by Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, and Andy Wachowski, "Cloud Atlas" narrates six-stories which happens in six different epochs, each story is a story within a story. Also there are hints that each of these stories which are all true stories have people related to some or the other character from the preceding story or themselves reincarnated in their next lives.

 Though the movie has a more structured narrative when compared with the novel, it is still confusing for an average movie goer. Many may get tired of trying to concentrate hard to find the relationship of what is going on screen. Main reason might be that when one is reading a novel they can take their own sweet time taking breaks in between to decipher what is going on. But here one is bombarded with all these 6 stories within a period of three hours which might get into one's nerves.

There must be movies that tease one's grey matter and make the movie watching an active experience. But there must be reason for it. It should not be done just for the sake of it. If one takes a closer look at the movie it an assortment of six straight-forward stories. It is just the narrative style which makes it difficult to follow initially which also gets easier as the movie proceed.

Almost every actor has more than a role in this movie, aided by top-class make-up and CG work it is hard to identify who is who. For instance except for couple of roles, it was difficult for me to identify Tom Hanks in others. Same holds true for many others too. Tom Hanks is brilliant as ever in all his six roles, some very brief. Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving and Jim Broadbent, all have substantial roles in most of the stories and have done well in most of their roles. Only sore point is in the 22nd century story where many non-Asian actors are made to portray Asian characters which looks very artificial with amateurish make-up.

Technically movie is brilliant with all its CG work, cinematography by Frank Griebe and John Toll. Background score is good in parts.

On the whole, "Cloud Atlas" is a type of movie which will get only dichotomous opinion from its viewers. Either people will classify it as one of the best or the one which is very difficult to decipher and hence difficult to appreciate. For me its a mixed feeling when the movie ended.

Bottomline: An active movie watching experience.

3.5/5

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Ayalum Njanum Thammil

My review: Ayalum Njanum Thammil

"Aayalum Njanum Thammil", written by Bobby-Sanjay and directed by Lal Jose is one of the best movies of the year in Malayalam. It is a coming of age story of a haughty and irresponsible junior doctor into a dedicated and conscientious cardiac surgeon through his relationship with a noble and honest senior doctor. With an underlay of suspense the movie makes for an engaging watch.

As with most of the new age Malayalam movies, in "Aayalum Njanum Thammil" also script is flawless, almost. That Bobby has a medical background is seen vividly on screen. Movie portrays exactly what happens in a medical college, with what kind of attitude new young doctors graduate and start their practice, the knowledge level of doctors graduating, and how they relate with their senior colleagues. The scriptwriters scores in with minutest of details. All the medical terminologies, procedures, treatment, etc used in the movie are flawless. It is refreshing to see an Indian movie with the amount of research and homework to come up with a authentic portrayal of a medical story.

Director Lal Jose has presented a nice script in a poetic manner. Movie also moves at a good pace, not lagging at any point of time.

Prithviraj has come up with one of his best performances as a young doctor whose life changes when he is forced to work in a rural area as a part of his bond for completion of his course. First as an impulsive and hot-headed student, later as a reluctant and passive doctor starting his career in a rural set-up, and finally as a mature senior doctor, Prithviraj portrays various shades of his character effortlessly and in a restrained manner without overacting. Prathap Pothen is another pillar for this movie. Using all his experience he has come up with one of the most memorable character in recent times, Dr Samuel. Great work from the veteran.

Narain is good as the protagonist's friend. Among the lead ladies, Samvrutha Sunil and Ramya Nambeesan have more screen-space and scope to perform and they have done their parts well. Rima Kallingal has nothing much to do in a brief role which seems to have written as an after-thought.

Jomon T.John's cinematography is excellent. The camera work is pleasant and breathtaking all the same. Technically this movie is among the best. Ouseppachan's music is good with two good melodies and background score which compliments the script.

"Ayalum Njanum Thammil" is a nostalgic ride for the doctors. Surely it will bring back at least one or two of their old memories. For others it is nice peek into the lives of doctors, right from their college days. It also provides some insights into how many doctors are victimized in their zeal to do good to patients putting their career and reputation at stake.

On the whole, "Ayalum Njanum Thammil" is a pleasant movie with food for thought.

Bottomline:  Respect for the doctors.

3.5/5

Pizza

My review: Pizza

Debutant Karthik Subbaraj's "Pizza" can't be categorized into one particular genre. Movie seamlessly flows through various moods and shades ending up fooling the viewers on numerous occasions. Movie's script is undoubtedly one of the best this year in Tamil. It once again reiterates the fact that script is paramount and everything else is just value addition.

Great scripts are those which not only link each and every character into  a smooth confluence to tell a story, it has to do justice to the attributes, personality and talents of each of those characters. In "Pizza" no character looks unwanted or forced in. And each of their character sketch is fully formed and adequately utilized for the story to move forward and to justify it. Heroine is a ghost story writer, hero is a very demure and timid person, the eatery owner's daughter is considered to be haunted by spirits and hence he is a staunch believer in spirits and ghosts, etc. All these aspects form a strong foundation on which the script is built around.

Another aspect of a good script is that it should fool the viewers at least once during the narration. Here not in one or two occasions, viewers get fooled on numerous occasions. Script is so intelligently woven that it is very difficult to guess the twists and turns, at the end everyone is taken aback.

Movie is two paced though. It starts of very slowly, taking its own sweet time to establish the characters and the direction it is going to progress. During this phase, one do get  feeling of getting bored. Once the movie shifts gears into murder mystery initially followed by horror mode, there is no looking back. At the intermission point air of expectancy is predominant. Post intermission, movie moves into couple more modes revelation of which might spoil the fun of those who have not watched it yet.

Since in this movie script is the real hero, each and every artists chosen fit into their characters impeccably. Vijay Sethupathi is brilliant. He carries whole movie on his shoulders and comes out unscathed. The effortless manner in which he is able to portray myriad of emotions and  body language appropriately is outstanding. Ramya Nambeesan is good though she has only limited scope. Each and every one in the support cast have done their parts excellently.

Not only in the aspect of script and direction, technically also the movie is top-class. Gopi Amarnath is the cinematographer who teams up with the music director Santhosh Narayanan to scare the viewers at more than couple of occasions. Gopi's lighting inside the dark haunted house is outstanding. Santhosh's background score has not tried to scare the viewers with usual gimmickry associated with horror movies. He has taken a more sensible approach to go about  his work. "Mogathirai" is a delectable melody while "Rathiri" in various versions of it is foot-tapping and adrenaline pumping.

Karthik Subbaraj not only seem to have a good knowledge of scripting a movie, he also has done a stupendous job of presenting it to the viewers in a very presentable manner. He has good visual sense too. He also show glimpses of  how progressive his thinking is by portraying things which are not explored much in Tamil cinema, live-in relationship and premarital sex for example. Future holds promise for this youngster. One can only hope that this movie is his original idea, especially considering the amounts of plagiarism one is coming across in the Indian movies these days.

If one is able to sit through the initial draggy half an hour, a scrumptious treat awaits. Go for it without further ado.

Bottomline: Brilliant debut by a promising team.

4/5

Maatran

My review: Maatran

After a below-average showing in "7aum Arivu" Suriya's shot at redemption to salvage his pride at box-office is "Maatran". He has teamed up with the director of one of his biggest hit "Ayan" K.V.Anand. And the duo have not disappointed the viewers. They have come up with an engaging action thriller that keeps you at your seats edge for most parts.

On the lines of chasing army secrets, nuclear secrets , here the protagonists are after the formula of lactose supplement which supposedly contains molecules which might harm children who are fed with it. And that antagonist is the protagonist's father is a new twist here though there are enough (forced in...!) justifications given in the end for the punishment to be meted out by the son.

First half moves at a very brisk pace which includes characters introduction, love angle (not that interesting or novel) , & preparations for the story to move forward. Towards the intermission unexpected twist results in a completely different second half which involves Hero & heroine going after the mystery behind the dreaded formula. Second goes on endlessly does tests one's patience towards the end. What could have been a crisp ending is stretched unnecessarily. Last 10 minutes of the movie is needless & should have finished it with the antagonist getting nabbed by the police.

Kamalhassan is the only actor in the country who used to put in a lot of effort to show contrast between his movies , even in the commercial ones. Be it quadruplets with different accents,body languages & voice in "Michael Madhana Kama Rajan" , midget in "Aboorva Sagodarargal" or Shanmugi maami in "Avvai Shanmugi". One actor in the current generation who is trying to it is Suriya. Just after a brilliant portrayal as "Bhodidarman" Suriya this time does a conjoint twin. With the attention to details by K.V.Anand , Suriya is brilliant in the conjoint twin portions. The body language that are so contrasting in accordance to the difference in the shades of the two characters is astounding. Though Akilan has a change over in his style similar to Vimalan after the separation , the body language of Akilan is so stark that one sees only Akilan though he looks like Vimalan. Even physically they look different with Akilan well built & brawny while Vimalan averagely built with a tummy.

As said earlier the attention to details is minute from the director. Especially after the separation of the twins the difficulty in balance that Akilan looses , his problem with his walk, the deformity that he has in his toes due to the fact that he has walked his whole life without giving much weight to one of his foot are examples. Also Akilan is shown to use his left hand for eating & writing in the latter half which is due to the fact that it was his free hand when he was in that conjoint posture. Also the visuals portraying the sportsperson are done very well which look authentic. K.V.Anand should be appreciated for these.

Others in the cast have done their parts well. Sachin Kedhekar is brilliant as the antagonist while Kajal Agarwal does her bit in a role without much scope. Good to see Tara after a long time on screen. The foreign actors have done a neat job unlike in "Thandavam".

Harris Jayarj's songs are already a huge hit. All the 5 songs are good with "Rettai Kathire" , "Naani Kooni" , & "Yaroo yaroo" topping the list. "Theeye theeye " & " Kaal mulaitha poovae" are also good numbers. His background score is average as usual. What is this obsession of making actors dance atop dangerous cliffs & rocks Mr K.V.Anand.

Soundarrajan's visuals are brilliant. The technical team including the CG & performance capture team have done a stupendous job in presenting the first half without any observable glitches. No where it is apparent that it is actually a single person who has done both the characters. So nicely done. But Anthony's editing could have been a bit better in the second half.

On the whole, "Maatran" is a engaging entertainer with good acting , direction & visual effects , better served with atleast a 15 minutes of trimming.

Bottomline: K.V.Anand's Hattrick hit

3.5/5

Trivandrum Lodge

My review : Trivandrum Lodge

Team “Beautiful” is back with another successful venture “Trivandrum Lodge”. Written by Anoop Menon & directed by V.K.Prakash movie stars Jayasurya rounding off the successful trio. Movie is bold in its subject matter, narrative style & dialogues. Supported by good performance of the star cast, splendid cinematography & good supportive background score “Trivandrum Lodge” is an instant hit with the movie goers.

“Trivandrum Lodge” is a place inhabited by a dozen souls each having different yearnings in life. Yearnings differ from physical intimacy, movie career and recognition to freedom of singlehood. They include aspiring actors, mimicry artists, movie journalist, retired government servant, music teacher, cook & a recluse who gets joined by recently divorced writer.

Movie’s main subject matter is three love stories across three generations & an infatuation. First one is a puppy love between son of the owner of the lodge & his classmate. It seems a bit farfetched in few instances but by & large presented age appropriately. Second one is a mature love between the owner of the lodge & his childhood sweetheart. It is an unconditional love wherein the love triumphs over death of one in the dyad. Third is a broken love story at late stage of life between the Music teacher & the cook in the lodge. And the last one is the infatuation almost everyone in the lodge has on the writer who comes in to stay with them.

As the narrative flows it not only traces the lives of these motley group of people but also how each of them get transformed in their perspective about love & lust. Not only that there is transformation in their personality as well that happens very subtly. In the end movie ends with extolling the triumph of love over lust. And the presentation is light.

Dialogues are the main draw of this movie. One can love it or hate it but can’t be apathetic towards it. It may raise a few eyebrows but that is how people converse in real life. Not only the bolder ones there are a few insightful dialogues too for the purists. Frank conversation in colloquial lingo is what that makes them special.

All the actors have done their parts well. Jayasurya as a recluse Abdu impresses with his restrained act. Honey Rose looks radiant & acts her part like a seasoned performer with high degree of confidence. Anoop Menon is cool , Bhavana is good in a neat cameo , P.Balachandran has numerous applause worthy dialogues ,Saiju Kurup is confident,  Janardhan & Sukumari does their parts with assurance of the veterans. Child actors Dhananjay & Nayanthara act appropriately to their age.

Pradeep Nair’s cinematography adds sheen to the movie. He has done a tremendous job in showing the Old Fort Cochin & Mattenchery lustrously. Even the lighting inside the lodge reflects the mood of the scenes.

Art direction deserves mention. The interiors as well the exteriors of the lodge are done with elan.

Jayachandran’s songs are melodious while background score by Bijibal is supportive of the narrative. There are many places where the background score has added value to the scenes in the movie.

Anoop Menon needs to be lauded for yet another fresh script & forthright dialogues. V.K.Prakash has done a neat job of directing a good script.

On the whole, “Triavandrum Lodge” assures fun-filled & a reflective stay.

Bottomline: pleasantly inhabitable

3.5/5

English Vinglish

My review: English Vinglsih

Sri Devi's comeback to mainstream cinema after a long sabbatical is a memorable one with this "English Vinglish" scripted & directed by Gauri Shinde. It is a fun filled ride with food for thought which moisten the viewers' eye in the end with joy. Message that family is the one place where people can't be judgmental should be more supportive of each others weakness is light-heartedly told using English as a metaphor.

Gauri Shinde's script is flawless if one excuse the numerous ill-informed stereotypes based on the cultural milieu from where people come from. There are very few instances in this movie where boredom rears its head may be in the second half. Otherwise it is quite an engaging movie with very few complaints. Neatly written & excellently executed , movie moves at a brisk pace too.

Dialogues are excellent. When Amitabh Bachhan mouths that he has come to visit US to spend few dollars for the American economy to recover , why India not "THE" India & why US "THE" United States of America are some of many insightful & brilliant dialogues.

Sri Devi is excellent . Though she looks old in many places she has not lost touch of her acting skills. The underplayed emotions which finally gets an outlet when her daughter comments about her English knowledge & her outburst in Hindi to a French classmate is one outstanding scene portrayed excellently by Sri. It is a dream comeback for her. Amitabh Bachhan exhilarates the viewers with his neat cameo.

Rajeev Ravindranath as "Tanglish" speaking Ramamoorthy & Sumeet Vyas as Pakistani Salman Khan are brilliant in keeping the audience in splits though these two characters are caricaturized the maximum. Especially Ramamoorthy's Idli scene is a laugh riot. Priya Anand is good as ever while rest of the support cast give a good support. Casting & performances are good.

Technically movie is world class with neat cinematography by Laxman Utekar. Amit Trivedi's musical score is supportive to the narrative.

"English Vinglish" is one those rare gems like "Vicky Donor" wherein the maker have hit upon a perfect mix of entertainment , message & appropriate emotional chord with the viewers. It is an intelligent comedy with a very good message at the same time one can relax their mind off their busy lives.

Bottomline: English "WIN"glish

3.5/5 

Thaandavam

My review : Thaandavam

A.L.Vijay's Vikram starrer "Thaandavam" is watching two movies simultaneously with mixed results. One is well written , neatly enacted & riveting while the other is poorly written & executed with below par acting that tests the patience of the viewers. As a result one has to take solace that atleast the movie is not a complete washout like Vikram's previous flick "Raajapattai". 

As said earlier the Indian portion of the movie is well written &  executed , keeps the viewers interested. Though it has flashes of inspiration from Manirathnam's "Mouna Raagam" the romantic portion as well the village portions are good. Not only Vijay has tried to take inspiration of the famous Manirathnam flick but he has also tried to do a Manirathnam with his dialogues as well for that portion. (Numerous one word dialogues like "Paakala"..."Ippo parunga"...etc galore...!!!! ) Nonetheless it is this portion that gives sanity to this overall mediocre & poorly written movie which drags on & on.

The London portions are so boring that even Shanthanam's valiant effort to infuse life fails. All the English actors ( or they amatuer drama artists..!!) do poorly including Amy Jackson. The characters are all half-backed & lifeless. Even Jagapathi Babu's character is poorly etched out that it doesn't evoke enough anger from the viewer to root for the hero in the end. The heights of amateurishness is the end where Hero is absolved of all the crimes & Home minister is asking for him to be reinstated in RAW!  

Vikram has done a neat job as a longing lover , dashing RAW officer & a visually impaired and betrayed person vying for revenge. Anuskha is lovely in her "Mouna Raagam" Revathish role. Chemistry between Vikram & Anushka is good. Amy Jackson fails to impress. She needs a great deal of training as far as acting is concerned. Shanthanam's is more of a semi-serious role with very few scope for laughter. Veterans like Nasser , Saranya , Sayaji Shinde , Kota Srinivasa Rao , M.S. Baskar, Thambi Ramaiah , Delhi Ganesh , all assert their experience. Jagapathi Babu suffers from a poorly written role though he is sincere in his effort.

G.V.Prakashkumar's background score is good in parts while "Oru paadhi kanavu" & "Uyirin uyire" are awesome melodies.

Nirav Shah's cinematography is awesome as ever. It is a very good camera work , too good for such a below-average script. Technically the movie is very good.

Everyone in  RAW speak Tamil , almost all Indians shown in London speak Tamil. Whether it is coincidence or poor thinking it is the same what ever the language of the movie , be it Hindi or Telugu.

On the whole, "Thaandavam" is two movie rolled into one , the Indian story might just save the day for Vijay & Vikram.

Bottomline : A tale of two movies...!!

2.5/5