Aviyal

My review: Aviyal

The second installment of Bench Talkies christened as "Aviyal" is an anthology of four short films, all of the genre " black comedy".

1) "Shruthi Bedam"

This is the most likeable of the four short films. An unlikeliest of romantic comedy which could have been explored only in the realms of short film world is a story that has a niece swooning over his aunt (chithi). Movie is a standout for the casualness of the making  and the performances. All the actors in the movie have done terrific jobs. Though the premise gives scope for lots of controversy, the manner in which the maker of this movie Mohit Mehra has gone about things in a sensitive manner is applaud worthy.

2) "Kalam"

This is the second on of the anthology which is more of an extended action sequence than a short film. The twists and turns don't create the kind of impact it ought to have. Acting is above par but the screenplay could have been a better with a more rounded story. However, the background score and cinematography of this movie is top notch.

3) "Kanneer Anjali"

This is the weakest of all the four movies. It tries to do a lot of things in half and hour and in the end doesn't do justice for anything. The comedy is unfunny, the thriller aspect is not engaging enough, the horror element is funny and the overall impact goes for a toss. 

4) "Eli"

This is by far the best of the four movies. Made by now famous Alphonse Putheran eons ago, "Eli" still appears fresh. The narrative is typically neo noir with a teasing screenplay and a bang ending. It boasts of big names like Bobby Simha and Nivin Pauly and is the star attraction of "Aviyal". On the whole,  "Aviyal" starts with a superb "Shruthi Bedam" and ends with  a terrific "Eli" traversing the mediocrity of the other two.  

Thozha

My review: Thozha

"Thozha" is a feel good entertainer which is a remake of french movie "Intouchables". Directed by Vamshi Paidipally it stars Nagarjuna and Karthi in the lead roles. Movie deals with an unlikely bonding that develops between a kind hearted quadriplegic billionaire and an insensitive small time crook who is out on parole. The premise is in itself is very interesting one that is pretty well milked by the writers of the movie. 

Movie moves at a languid pace but that is perfectly fine for story. Though the story itself is inherent with lot of scopes for melodrama, Vamshi has kept it to bare minimum. The most refreshing part is that he has infused humour in almost all those situations where you get a feeling of pathos seeping in. But somehow you do tend to feel that the screenplay meanders laboriously in the second half and a crisper direction and screenplay would have done this movie a great service.

Nagarjuna is terrific in his portrayal of the disabled billionaire who is confident yet has shades of self-pity and anxious ruminations from the past. It is one of the best from Karthi in a really long time.  Effortless ease with which he transposes from melodrama and humour us just superb. Thamanna is there in most of the frames but relegated to the role of  a glorious extra.

Movie which is rich in its visual and cognitive content with terrific dialogues sadly gets a very poor music from Gopi Sunder. None of the songs are worth hearing even once while his background score is mixed bag. 

Vamshi could have done away with item number and the crude gay gags at least for the tamil version where audience lap up movies even without such paraphernalias. On the whole, what could have been a terrific film with a tighter screenplay and direction "Thozha"ends up just above average. 

Bottomline: a breezy bromance... 

3.5/5

Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum

My review: Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum

After his immensely impressive debut, Nalan Kumarasamy has strived hard to break away from the monotony and showcase his versatility with "Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum" aka "KaKaKaPo". Billed as a romcom, "KaKaKaPo" is neither romantic nor a comedy. It strives hard to be different but the impact that it ought to have created in the viewers is missing totally. 

Though the setting, actors and the landscapes seem rooted in nativity, somehow the movie's overall appeal remain outlandish. The proceedings seem too artificial or contrived that you hardly invest emotionally with it. The sluggish pace with incessant and mundane long shots makes it a real challenge to remain awake for its full course. Here and there there are good solid comical situations which are conceived and  performed superbly but couple of superlative scenarios don't make up a whole movie which is so mediocre and boring. 

It is sad to see talents like Vijay Sethupathy, who is yet again terrific as a dimwit dadha wannabe and Madonna Sebastian, a cute and talented actress to watch out for, getting wasted in such a preposterous movie. When it comes to acting, almost everyone including the benign extras have done good work. 

It is a difficult movie to give background score, agreed, yet Santosh Narayanan could have tried a bit more. The long stretches of uncomfortable silence punctuated with ear shattering score makes it one of the lackluster background scores from the young maestro in his filmography so far. Technically movie is good. 

On the whole, "KaKaKaPo" will too  pass out of theaters sooner than later.

Bottomline: Preposterous

2/5  

Pichaikkaran

My review: Pichaikkaran

I am a fan of Sasi right from his "Sollamale" days for the clarity of his movie making and certain delicate nuanced transgressions that would often elevate even mundane of proceedings. Be it "Rojakootam" or "Dishyum" or the most impressive movie of his so far "Poo" or even the least profitable movie of his "555", his movies always evokes curiosity and makes for a riveting viewing. His latest movie is "Pichaikkaran" which sadly is a letdown if you expect a vintage Sasi movie. 

Even though the story is certainly a novel one (Sasi acknowledges in the end that it is actually inspired from a real life story) the screenplay has too many digressions and distractions that after a point it gets tedious. Also the pace is very sluggish for the kind of genre the movie belongs to. In spite of it the movie keeps you interested throughout the running time mainly due its sparkling razor sharp dialogues. They keep coming accompanied by thunderous response from the crowd which is the main reason why you don't slip into a slumber. Movie's nucleus works well too, which is the ever relevant and Tamil cinema's reliable poppet that is mother sentiment. 

Though the movie can't be classified as a mass masala entertainer, it has couple of well conceived and presented mass moments that keep the viewers enthralled. Part of the appreciation must go the actors as well. Vijay Antony has once again chosen a role that suits his histrionic abilities and he has done justice to it. He could have performed a bit more in the sentiment and romantic portions instead of too much of underplay that often borders on sleep walking. Satna Titus is easy on the eyes and performs well too instead of adorning the movie's cutesie portions alone. The two actors who come as the protagonist's friends are terrific. They get to mouth the movie's most whistle worthy dialogues. On the flip-side the movie's antagonists are annoyingly cardboardish. 

Vijay Antony's background score is adequate while in his music only one song passes muster which is "Nenjorathil". Movie is technically tacky, a throwback to the 90s era. On the whole, terrific hard hitting dialogues, mother sentiment and couple of superb mass moments salvages patchy writing and lackluster direction. 

Bottomline: Noble intentions. 

3/5

Kanithan

My review: Kanithan

There are some movies which you would like very much and certain others which you would hate right away. But there are certain category of movie which you neither like nor hate that you end up being apathetic towards it. That feeling or rather lack of it was what I felt while watching "Kanithan". T.N. Santosh debuts as  the writer cum director of this movie which stars Atharva and Catherine Tresa in the lead. 

The movie deals with an important social theme that might be relevant in the today's world but somehow you feel a sense of dejavu right through the it. Though the screenplay seem to brisk and a lot of things happen in each frame, you feel that the movie is running for a really long time. Though the movie have actors who perform well with their histrionic ability you don't feel the emotional connect with whatever is happening to them. So at the end you come out with a numb feeling that it is really hard to explain what would have went wrong.

Take for instance the scene which lead onto the suicide of one of the characters in the movie. The whole sequence is a throwback to the bygone era of 80's. The whole tit for tat game between the protagonist and the antagonist is from the era of vigilante movies of the 90's. The dialogues that both the protagonist and antagonist mouth are basically the directors attempt is trying to explain to the audience the most mundane of things which are pretty obvious for any average movie watcher. May be the manner in which the director has underestimated the intelligence of the viewers must have a thing or two about why the movie doesn't instill that "wow" feeling while watching it.   

Atharva is earnest in his role but he seem to be mimicking Vijay is many sequences, be it in the comical or the mass action ones. Catherine Tresa is fit in the dimwitted heroine role who is relegated to an extra in the second half. Tarun Arora tries hard to instill fear but instead brings out only chuckles. 

"Yappa chappa" is a delightful fun number from Sivamani. Other than that rest of the songs are duds. Chinna's background score is mediocre. It could have been a memorable debut for T.N.Santosh if he had thought like the contemporary movie makers in his scripting and execution. Instead his hangover of the 80's and 90's way of going about things has severely marred the movie's final impact.

Bottomline: Apathetic action thriller.

2.5/5

Miruthan

My review: Miruthan

Touted to be the first Tamil zombie movie, Sakthi Sounder Rajan's "Miruthan" can be appreciated for making an attempt at this new genre. But making an attempt is one thing, doing justice to it is another. Take the case of "Miruthan". The writing and execution is so lackluster that the good intentions of introducing our viewers to a new concept goes down the drain in the final analysis. The writing is so dumbed down that the cognitive level that the director seem to have targeted is who are still in pre-school. I wonder if even them would find these proceedings interesting. 

Too many digressions that dilute the seriousness of the main plot leaves you exasperated half way through the first half itself. Silly jokes, irritating gags, juvenile innuendos keep surfacing at the most important places which just make it impossible for you to keep engrossed with the proceedings. After a point you don't have any emotional connect with whatever happens on screen. The zombies keep cropping up like those animations that appear in the video games that you have to shoot down to gain points. Though the movie runs only for about two hours it bores you as nothing new is seen on the screen after the point when the whole town is infested with these zombies.

Ravi just sleep walks his way through the movie as does Lakshmi Menon. Kali Venkat's efforts to evoke laughter falls flat. R.N.R.Manohar irritates in one of the poorest written characters in recent times. Most of the extras look amateurish both in their heavy make-up as well in their over the top histrionics.

D.Iman's form seems to be fading after couple of stellar years. Songs are mediocre with only "Munnal Kadhali" striking a chord. Background score is loud and grimy.

Technically the movie is shoddy. Be it the make of the zombies which are a through back to the early 80's horror movies or the art direction where all they have done is to strew papers and burn couple of tires to show that the place is ravaged by the zombies with striking regularity be it in Ooty or the various landmark areas of Coimbatore. Paucity of both the budget and the imagination is evident by all these aberration which mar the movie to a great extent.

On the whole, "Miruthan" is how they would have made a zombie movie in Tamil in the 80's.

Bottomline: Mediocre and messy.

2/5