Rajini Murugan

My review: Rajini Murugan

Ponram seems to a person who looks at life in an uncomplicated and lighthearted manner. That assertion comes from how his debut movie "Varuthapadatha Vaalibar Sangam" and his second movie "Rajini Murugan" have panned out. Both the movies have an unerring air of casualness, feel-goodednes, simplicity and festivity in them. There is nothing complicated about these movies. Not that they have anything new to offer too. Yet at the end of the movie you come out happy, satisfied and feeling good. 

"Rajini Murugan" is a fairly enjoyable commercial potboiler that can't be defined by a particular genre. It is like a three course traditional Tamil meal (sorry for the most cliched of example ) that has something for everything. It is a movie that is very difficult to review for there is nothing too special to rave about nor too bad to criticize also, but in the final analysis you feel satisfied. 

Main reason why the movie works is Sivakarthikeyan. There is something about him that is attractive. May be he has that charisma that only few in the Tamil cinema industry like Rajinikanth, Kamalhassan, Vijay and Dhanush have. There is some inherent likability in him along with his casual humour that come so naturally to him. He has struck a wonderful chemistry with Soori. The scenes these two regale the theater are a throwback to the days of Sathyaraj-Goundamani enthralling the audience in a similar mould. 

Keerthi Suresh is a pleasant addition to the line of beautiful yet performing actress from Kerala unlike plastic dolls that roll out the northern part of the country. Rajkiran does well both in the sentimental as well as the comedy scenes. 

D.Iman's songs some of  which are already chart-busters are a valuable augments for this movie. "Un mela oru kannu" is a delectable melody while "Yennama ippadi panreengalema" is a mischievous "soup song" that rules the roost in the FM channels. 

On the whole, "Rajini Murugan" is a perfect festival release, a clean family entertainer.

Bottomline: Paisavasool. 

3.5/5            

Tharai Thappattai

My review: Tharai Thappattai

Bala's movies off late have become templated to such an extent even an average joe can predict each and every scene in his movies. Only difference is the setting of the story. It can be a bonded labourers  in a tea estate or physically disabled with a begging mafia, the route the story is going to take and the fate that befalls the protagonists are a given. In "Tharai Thappattai" it is folk artists and the manner in which they endure the torture which in turn is extrapolated on to the viewers. Only this time the movie is superfluous unlike any of his included that forgettable "Avan Ivan". 

The whole conceit of "Tharai Thappattai" is redundant. Nothing happens in a flow. There is contrived situations one after another to such an extent that by the intermission point one can only hear cries of exasperation from the viewers. At point no one knows the whereabouts of the female protagonist and right in the next shot we see the male protagonist just nonchalantly walking into the place where she is housed. Similarly the climax too is straight out a below average masala potboiler of the 80s where the male protagonist can do no wrong except that to remind us that we are watching a Bala movie he can't save the heroine as she is only destined to die.

Except for the hard work put in by all the actors with the exception of the caricatured villain, this movie offers nothing either in terms of entertainment or art. It is sad to see the actors like Sasikumar, G.M.Kumar, Varalakhsmi putting in such a superlative performances which is just going to go down the drains in the end. Ilayaraja's terrific background score also can't redeem this slugfest.
Bala just seems to have concentrated on extracting superb performances from his actors while he himself just floundering in his screenplay and film making. 

On the whole, "Tharai Thappatai"‬ is the weakest of Bala's movies so far.  

Bottomline: crude, crass, tacky, hackneyed, plastic, irritating, torturous,........

2/5

Charlie

My review: Charlie

Many movies you enter fresh and come out with a headache but while watching "Charlie" I entered with severe headache but came out very fresh and elated. It is such a feel good movie that is made with some special powers to infuse positive energy in the viewers. It is not your conventional movie that can be confined into a particular genre. It defies these phoney boundaries that is part and parcel of screenplay writing. It is a thriller at one point, it becomes a romantic comedy at another, a sentimental drama at yet another and an abstract fantasy at some point too.

Having been brought up with stories where the male protagonist is the one who always drives the story forward, "Charlie" is a pleasant deviant where female lead does it. She is there right from the first frame till the last, she is one who goes in search of the almost angelic persona, a genie in the form of human named Charlie. It is an audacious role reversal of sorts that can only be carried forward by a power-packed performer like Parvathy, an inspired piece of casting that. It is her movie, where she is the protagonist, narration is in her point of view and the emotions of the movie is all her's. Dulquer Salman's is mostly an extended cameo of sorts, which warrants special appreciation for him being so selfless and generous.    

Movie though progresses sluggishly in the first half traversing many a genres and keeping the viewers guessing about the course it is going to take, second half just fills the viewers with overwhelming positive energy that at the end you just stand up and applaud in elation at the happenings. There are two specific scenes that just brings tears of joy and reflex applause from the viewers. One when Kunjappan meets his long lost love of his life, the other when the lead finally meet each other and their mischievous banter through to the surprise tiny little twist. This is the type of movie making that just engulfs and sucks in the viewers into the narrative flow that you long for that state of ecstasy to stay for ever. 

As I have mentioned earlier, "Charlie" is an out and out Parvathy movie. She has dished out yet another power-packed treat. Her emotive skills are totally in a different league altogether when compared with her unidimentional contemporaries. It is yet another impressive addition to her already terrific resume. Dulquer on the other hand has nothing much to do. In the limited scope that the movie offers he has acquainted himself credibly. Movie boasts of quiet a list of power packed performers as its support cast who all lend that extra to the movie's final impact. 

Martin Prakkat, after his impressive "ABCD", has once again proven that he is adept in handling movies of feel good themes. He  also shows  he is a maker who believes in subtle portrayal of emotions and the one who trusts the intelligence of the viewers. The two aforementioned scenes are perfect examples for this claim of mine.

On the whole,  "Charlie" a very well made feel good movie with power packed performances from its cast with Parvathy leading from the front.

Bottomline: Cinematic ecstasy 

4/5