Cine Talks

Virundhali Movie Review

2010-07-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

Starring: Eashwar, Dhyana
Direction: Waterman
Music: S S Kumaran
Production: Gopika international

The first thing that struck about the movie is the relevance of its title. Not only any attempt to make sense of the title proves futile, but also the entire movie watching experience is excruciatingly painful. And this, after a week of promising releases that upped our hopes about the general state of affairs. It’s as if the idea of making the movie is broken into pieces and entrusted to slackers. As a result, you get a product that is so

incoherent - every single aspect (script, dialogues, music and even acting) appears to be made individually and put together to form a final product. Is it only bad editing?

The story traces the life of spoilt rich kid Eashwar, whose father is imprisoned in a murder case. Eashwar is a money lender, along with his mother, and collects repayments with his friend Singampuli. Everything is hunky dory in Eashwar’s life until Dhyana comes along to the village, as the village postmaster’s educated daughter. It is love at first sight but the girl shows some restraint, thankfully. But love develops inevitably. Throw in a few twists and turns, a murder, an accidental witness, corrupt police officers and a contrived, supposed to tug at your heart, climax the movie is complete.

The director has obviously felt the need to tell the world that his movie ought to be taken seriously. So the movie suffers from a heavy Sethu hangover. It worked for Sethu since the movie had an earnest story and everything about it felt right. But alas, any attempt to replicate that classic will always be overshadowed by that powerful movie. Virunthali suffers from that fate exactly.

Eashwar shows some potential, if it was with a better script or, probably, director, he would have garnered some attention. Rest of the cast, including the heroine, Dhyana, whose character is supposed to evoke sympathy, is poorly written and comes across as unfinished. As a result, you feel nothing for the sufferings, the film’s characters undergo.

Everything else, including S S Kumaran’s background score and songs is unremarkable. The songs, not only hinder whatever progress the movie makes, they also are painfully loud and ear-splitting. Hariharan saves the ‘Un Jannal’ song solely owing to his credentials.

Despite the availability of a producer like Rajesh Gopinath, the director and his team has failed to cash in on the opportunity. Virunthali is nothing but an attempt at movie making, a bad one at that. In the end, the director might have learnt some lessons but the fact that he attempted something mind numbing as this will remain forever in his bio-data.

Madharasapattinam

2010-07-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

Starring: Arya, Amy Jackson, Nasser, VMC.Haneefa, M. S. Bhaskar.
Direction: A L Vijay
Music: G V Prakash Kumar
Production: Kalapathi S. Aghoram

Get ready to be transported back into Madras. The makers have promised a trip from Chennai to Madharasapattinam and that is exactly what has been delivered through this movie. But, is it just a trip back in time or is there more to look forward to? Before we begin analyzing Madharasapattinam for what it is, let us lay down

lines that quite clearly define what it is not. Any movie set in the pre-independence era carries the expectations of portraying the freedom struggle. Madharasapattinam makes little or no attempts to get into that. Yes, the events of the freedom struggle and subsequent achievement of independence from British rule are important events that have a bearing on the story. But, those events have not been shown in detail, nor have any of the legendary names associated with the freedom been depicted. So, Madharasapattinam is not a documentation of the freedom struggle and events associated with it. Then what is it?

It is a love story set against the backdrop of India that is on the verge of independence. A young British lady (Amy Jackson) is visiting India. She is from a family that is well connected to the highest echelons of power in the Madras presidency. As it is, tensions are brewing between the British and Indians all over the country. That rubs off on a small washer man community in Madras who stand in the way of the powerful British personnel when they attempt to evict them from their place. It hurts the ego of a highly placed British officer who challenges a young dhobi (Arya) for a one-on-one which would decide the fate of the place. The British lady happens to be a silent spectator to all that transpires between the British and the dhobi community; she notices the young man who has the courage to stand up to a mighty force. Soon, she finds herself attracted to this man who also seems to be reciprocating those feelings. But, the proximity between the two does not escape the eyes of the power hierarchy who look down upon the relation as a disgrace to the family and the empire. With freedom fast approaching and the British getting ready to leave the country, time is running out for the couple who have to make a decision between love and country. What happens to the love story that faces the wrath of mighty empire whose ego has been badly bruised by the freedom struggle? Watch Madharasapattinam to find out.

The storyline and the events might sound a bit familiar to you. Yes, there are points in the movie where one is able to draw parallels to other great movies. The opening portions remind us of Titanic, while the challenge thrown by the British at the dhobi community gives us a Lagaan feel. But, in spite of all this, Madharasapattinam has a unique identity and the reason for that is in the title of the film itself - Madras. That is the single biggest highlight of the movie.

Full marks to the team of Madharasapattinam for recreating Madras, which existed only in photos, history books and minds of people who lived during that era. Though most of us do not have a very clear idea about how Madras would have looked like before 1947, the picturisation is good enough to convince us that this is an authentic representation. First on the order of merit for making this possible is the art department headed by Selva Kumar. We are taken to a Mount Road (not Anna Salai) that is not overflowing with traffic, the old Washermanpet, the haloed building of the Madras Central and the Buckingham Canal which once was the backbone of a very efficient drainage system of the city. We are even shown a Cooum that is not filthy; which is hard to imagine, considering the state of the river these days. All sets are exquisitely constructed and look very original. Hordes of junior artistes have been employed in proper period attire to add to the authentic feel. What is provided by the art department in terms of magnificent sets has been enhanced into a wonderful on screen experience through Nirav Shah’s lens. The cinematographer is in top form capturing Madras in all its glory. The tone adopted to give a period theme is apt.

Other technical aspects of Madharasapattianam also a delight, especially G.V. Prakash’s background music. The small touches that he has provided, especially when the love between the lead couple begins to bloom, are wonderful. The songs too are a treat, especially ‘Vaama Dorayamma’ and ‘Aaruyire’. Though there is a feeling that adding a few western pieces here and there would have made it even more perfect for the movie. Costumes of the entire cast are almost perfect, especially Amy Jackson’s.

Performances are a real delight in Madharasapattinam. The one who walks away with the top honors is Amy Jackson for a beautiful portrayal of a lady torn between her love and the mighty empire. She looks absolutely beautiful, emotes well through her expressive eyes and is able to earn the sympathy of the audiences during tough times. Arya is perfect for the character of the dhobi who is also a wrestler. He is intense, manly, yet soft and romantic when it is required. A convincing performance. The rest of the cast too is spot on in delivering the goods. The British cast looks convincing as the colonial power. VMC Haneefa delights as the dubashi (translator) lending many moments of fun as he plays around with languages that he does not know. Nasser brings power and intensity to the character that he portrays. The lady who portrays the aged Amy Jackson, through whose memory the story is told, also impresses a great deal

While there are positives aplenty for Madharasapattinam, there are one or two aspects that could have been better. The dialogues do not seem to be the kind that would have been spoken before 1947, the lines look very contemporary, especially the Tamil dialogues. One can overlook this in a commercial film. Using the proper 1940s Madras Tamil could have worked either way for the movie. There are quite a few English dialogues (understandably), but they do not look like an inconvenience or act as a barrier between the film and the audiences; the subtitles have been done well.

Overall, Madharasapattinam is a film that takes you back in time and shows you a Madras that exists only in photos and memory. Hats off to the entire team for making this possible and kudos to Vijay for heading this team and pulling off the huge task. Also thanks to AGS Films for taking up such a subject which would have definitely cost a lot. Madharasapattinam is a pretty often seen love story where poor boy meets rich girl, much to the angst of the family. But, it is the backdrop and the treatment that make it a different experience. Watch Madharasapattinam for some great art work, cinematography, performances and to appreciate an effort that is a rare occurrence in Tamil cinema. But, do not look for a documentation of the freedom struggle and other historical milestones. Just enjoy the trip from Chennai to Madharasapattinam

Verdict: Enjoyable trip to Madras Presidency!

Kanagavel Kaakka

2010-06-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

Starring: Karan, Haripriya, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Raj Kapoor.
Direction: Kavin Bala
Music: Vijay Antony
Production: Saravana R

Karan tries to tread a different path in director Kavin Bala’s debut Kanagavel Kaakka. It is not a completely different theme as such, but the premises make it somewhat distinct to other films that we have seen that border on the same theme.

Kanagavel Kaakka takes a look at the judiciary of our country; how easy it is to find loopholes in the law and escape punishment. So, what is the solution to this? That someone has to take it upon himself to deliver the right judgment when the court of law is not able to do so. How he sets flawed judgments right is the story of Kanagavel Kaakka.

Karan plays the unassuming and ordinary peon in court, the guy who stands behind the judge practically playing no part in the whole process of the trial, just being there as a mute spectator. But, he is not the kind of peon that everyone thinks he is. He is in fact a lawyer who was forced by fate to take up the garb of a peon. The reasons for that are told; Karan’s father was a judge and naturally had to take a few tough decisions in his career and delivered judgments that irked a few bad men. He had to pay the price for it through his family and Karan who was witness to all the arson decides to be a source of support to his father than erecting a career of his own.

Now, as a peon standing behind the judge he is able to see right through the fake witnesses and hollow arguments of the other lawyers in court (because of his education as a lawyer). And, when a criminal walked off free he chased them down and delivered justice of his own kind. How long does he continue doing this, does the law wake up or does his struggle end up as a minor movement that never had any impact at all?

Kanagavel Kaakka does attract with its theme - that of one man against the system, which we never go tired of. But, there is a feeling that a director could have brought in a bit more suspense and intelligence to the proceedings. Right from the word go, there is no sense of excitement or whodunit in the movie. It is pretty plain and predictable in spite of the theme’s potential to be suspenseful as well as exciting. The other factor missing sorely from Kanagavel Kaakka is the intelligence. For all his law degree and shrewd eye to detect the criminal, Karan does not seem to plot his acts well enough. All the acts of punishments that he delivers seem too simple and straightforward. Depicting a little bit of planning and in depth thought behind this would have added more credibility to the movie. But, Kanagavel Kakka does impress basically because it has got a theme of universal appeal. Only, the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

Karan has played a role that is quite apart from the ones he has been seen in over the recent past. There is a sense of restraint and underplay which is good and suits the character well. Others in the cast live up to their experience like Kota Sreenivasa Rao, Sampath and Raj Kapoor. Haripriya as the heroine hasn’t got much to do except in the songs.

Technically, there is nothing much in the movie that garners attention. All departments are just adequate. Music by Vijay Anthony is passable, but not catchy and there seems to be one song too many for a film of this kind.

Kanagavel Kaakka has got an interesting subject. But, lack of suspense and intelligence in the proceedings are major drawbacks. A tighter and more focused screenplay was definitely called for.

Verdict: Legal drama: lots of loopholes!

Singam

2010-06-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

Starring: Suriya, Anushka, Prakash Raj, Vivek, Manoramma.
Direction: Hari
Music: Devi Sri Prasad
Production: BIG Pictures

The much-awaited Hari-Suriya combo is back in this landmark 25th film of Suriya. The story was initially narrated to Vijay for his 50th film by Hari but for some reasons Vijay could not do it and Suriya lapped it up.

Throughout the career graph of Suriya, the actor has diligently worked towards balancing the niche and the mass and this time around he has proven once again that he can deliver a commercial masala flick with as finesse as he can deliver a performance-oriented film. It is Suriya all over; the guy stumps with some gravity defying stunts, mouths a few intense sentimental dialogues, floors his lady partner passionately and challenges the baddies and cleanses the society from obnoxious elements.

Durai Singam is the SI of Nallur police station who is into the police force mainly to satisfy his father. His ambition is to expand his provision stores business to a super market. All the same, he is sincere in his work and is the darling of his town as he settles many disputes in his town amicably. Mayilvaganan (Prakash Raj), the fraudster from Chennai, involved in criminal activities, gets trapped into a police case which requires him to sign in Nallur police station for a period of 15 days. There is a proxy who comes to do this job in the police station which triggers an encounter between Prakash Raj and Suriya that leads into a series of events between the two which form the rest of Singam.

Meanwhile, an offshoot of this plot is the love angle between Anushka and Suriya, the former comes to the village to her grand parents place for vacation and bumps in to the latter. Thankfully, it is not love at the second meeting but something that happens gradually with believable events.

Vivek as Erimalai takes charge of comedy in Singam as Suriya’s subordinate and acquits himself well. The comedy scenes do bring the intended effect and the lorry scene which results in Vivek’s suspension tops the list. There are many such enjoyable instances which are sure to get into the comedy channels soon.

Anushka looks good and acts too. When she is on the phone with Suriya and gets caught by her father Nasser, the instant play of expression to get out of the situation is noteworthy. The lady does have a good future. She rides on twin horses with glamorous costumes in the song sequences and a homely demeanor in the rest of the film. Radha Ravi and Sumithra as the parents of Suriya do a convincing job. The other supporting cast members are satisfactory.

Music by Devi Sri Prasad is nothing to rave about except the En Idhayam number. However, the morphing technique adopted to cover a few frames in this number is unwarranted. Background score is also ordinary. True to the name Singam, the film is dominated by action sequences but there is no blood and gore. Cinematographer Priyan has done a decent job.

Director Hari has stuck to his genre and has delivered a crisp film. Although the events and the premise are not something new in Singam and the formula of one scene each of ‘action-romance-sentiments-comedy', is strictly adhered to, he should be credited for rendering an engaging and entertaining product. He succeeds in holding the interest of the audience to a larger extent and satisfies the viewers.

However, in the second half, the interactions between the villain and hero get a bit drab and seem to drag on. There is not much of an intelligence displayed by the villain to counter the hero except in the climax. On the whole, Hari has concocted and packaged his masala contents in the right proportion and has served a tasty dish.

KUTTY PISSASU

2010-05-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

Starring: Baby Keerthika, Ramji, Sangeetha, Ramya Krishnan, Ganja Karuppu.
Direction: Rama Narayanan
Music: Deva
Production: Rama Narayanan

The summer treat for kids is here. It is not quite often that film makers are inclined to consider children as their target audience. So, the basic premise of having a movie that caters mostly to children, and perhaps to the child in every adult, in itself is different and ought to be welcomed. But, putting that aside and looking at the movie objectively, this is what we have to say about Kutty Pissasu.

Kutty Pissasu is an interesting mix of the ‘desi’ elements that have pervaded our cinema for many decades and new age technology, an amalgamation of superstition and science (not very scientific). The basic plot of the movie is the old reliable good vs. evil tussle. The superstitious aspect of the movie consists of a human sacrifice, a temperamental but benevolent goddess, a centuries old boon, reincarnation and revenge. The new age angle is brought about a ‘Transformers’ style car which becomes a life-size robot every now and then to bash up the baddies and even dance to a few tunes.

Ramki and Sangeetha play the happy middle-class couple with a daughter who has just about started going to school. Everything is fine in their lives until it starts appearing that their daughter has become a different person altogether. How could that be? Well, there is only one way possible – when a wandering spirit decides to enter into a body to achieve its end.

What does the spirit have to do so desperately? We are told about how an innocent lady was put to death by a gang of men blinded by superstition in order to obtain a few magical secrets. Now, she wants to wreak revenge through this toddler. But, it is not going to be all that easy against scheming baddies. So, in comes the car (‘Transformer’) to help the small girl. And, as it turns out, even the car is a reincarnation; that of the killed lady’s brother, who too was a victim of the gang’s atrocities. There is also a centuries old boon from a goddess which protects the kid and her companion in her quest for vengeance.

Quite obviously, the film contains a lot of make believe and many points that require suspension of disbelief. But, isn’t that the kind of thing that we expect while watching a film that is directed towards children. It is not laden heavily with emotions and twists, just a simple good vs. evil fable and it does not take much to guess which side wins in the end. But, the bottom line is whether the kids will be able to enjoy what is on offer?

The first thing that one feels after seeing the movie is that it could have been a bit lighter and breezier for the benefit of children. The human sacrifice, the spirit, reincarnation and the goddess episode add a bit of tension to the proceedings. But, in spite of them, there is a positive feel and energy to the film. Krithika, the girl who plays the ‘Kutty Pissasu’ has done a commendable job. Her performance in terms of acting doesn’t evoke great appreciation, but she does score heavily with her dance moves in the songs, especially Dolo Dolo.

Among others in the cast, Ganja Karuppu gets a character role unlike the ones he has done in his career. With very little scope for comedy, he proves that he has the ability to pull off non-comic roles without looking too bad. Kadhal Dhandapani gets an interesting role as a sorcerer to which he has done justice while Ramya Krishnan and Nasser are polished in their brief appearances. The rest of the cast, including Riyaz Khan as the lead villain, do their jobs to satisfaction.

Technically, Kutty Pissasu has some fine special effects work to talk of. The fact that all the graphics were done without any help being sought from Hollywood or other industries augurs well for Tamil cinema. This is proof that there is local talent that can do a fairly good job. The dance moves of the ‘Transformer’ robot and its fight moves have been really well crafted. But, there is the feeling that the camera work could have been a shade better to match up to the graphics. Songs and BGM by Deva suit the mood and feel of the film.

A veteran like Rama Narayanan must be thanked for taking the effort to revive an almost forgotten genre. The intentions are very plain and clear, to capture the imagination of the children. Though there seems to be a bit of old school thought (like human sacrifice and reincarnation) which might not be readily identified by today’s young children, there are enough cars and colors to keep them happy and engaged.

Verdict: Jolly summer outing for kids!

IRUMBU KOTTAI MURATTU SINGAM

2010-05-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

Starring: Lawrence, Lakshmi Rai, Padmapriya, Sandhya, Ramesh Kanna.
Direction: Simbu Devan
Music: G V Prakash
Production: AGS Entertainment

It is about world of Wild Western- cowboys, horses, revolvers, cards and county music! Irumbu Kottai Murattu Singam (IKMS), the third offering from Simbu Devan, delves in all these which have not been handled for quite a while in Tamil cinema. Of course, Simbu proclaims his work to be completely a make-believe one and any shortfall (in this department) can be justified.

The film begins with a small intro of cowboy culture and an imaginary extrapolation of this into our civilization. The entire premise of the film is set in a cowboy milieu.

Raghava Lawrence has been sentenced to murder in Sholaypur (where Amitabh Bachchan adorns the place of Mahatma Gandhi in the court) because of a loss of a precious diamond in his workplace and in the nick of the moment he has been kidnapped by Ilavarasu, Mouli and company who promise that he can protect their clan (Jaishankarpuram) from the clutches of the cruel one-eyed Nasser due to his striking resemblance to their leader Murattu Singam who went missing some time back. In return, they will give him the precious diamond - Mullangi Vairam (very similar to the one that was stolen) and he can get his job back.

In further course, Lawrence lands in Jaishankarpuram where he finds his love-interest Padmapriya. He also encounters Nasser of Irumbu Kottai and USApuram who is flanked by his deputies Lakshmi Rai and Saikumar (Ulakkai). Lawrence also stumbles upon the Red Indian Chief M S Bhaskar and his daughter Sandhya. One thing leads to another and a group goes on a treasure hunt to find the precious diamond and wealth with a map. The rest of IKMS is all about this hunt and whether Jaishankarpuram gets freed from USApuram and Nasser and what happens to Lawrence.

The film scores high on the art department and hats off to art director Muthuraj who deserves a standing ovation for creating the right kind of feel. He takes us into a different world. Costumer Sai’s hard work is perceivable in every costume of the long line of star cast. Each one’s costume is distinct from other. Music by GV Prakash renders the apt feel and his background gels well.

Raghava Lawrence impresses with his style, and his practice sessions with the gun, card and horse are evident. Heroines do not have much of a role in IKMS except for a song each. The true performers are M S Bhaskar, his interpreter (Sams) and Nasser. If the special Red Indian language is hilarious, Java Suresh’s antics give us stomach spasms due to rip roaring laughter especially in the treasure hunt scene where he very diligently translates every move of his chief even while he is hanging from a cliff and later when they are tied down by Nasser’s men.

The treasure hunt scene is an amalgam of Takeshi’s castle, Mackenna’s Gold and Indiana Jones Adventures and this scene could be an extreme source of merriment especially for children. The 350-feet statue in this scene is brilliant.

The long list of star cast includes Vyapuri, Mouli, V S Raghavan, Manorama, Ramesh Kanna, Ilavarasu and Delhi Ganesh who all have a small role to play in.

Simbu Devan should certainly be applauded for giving the audience an all new experience and his hard work is palpable. On the flipside, he does not engage the audience completely and loses his grip on them on and off. There are times when the film appears outright childish. The screen play meanders a while and there is a jump of genre here and there.

All in all, IKMS is a clean, adventure, comedy which would appeal to children and young minded adults.

Verdict: A neat adventure comedy for the summer!

ANGADI THERU

2010-05-06T00:38:00.000-07:00

Starring: Magesh, Anjali.
Direction: Vasantha Balan
Music: G V Prakash Kumar, Vijay Antony
Production: Ayngaran International

After recording the journey of a loser with Veyil and reaching sunny heights, Vasantha Balan takes a bow with Angadi Theru produced by Ayngaran International. This film is long overdue and the expectation levels had almost reached a crescendo thanks to Balan’s previous repertoire. And the Cannes fame director has not let down his audience in Angadi Theru.

Angadi Theru as the name indicates is all about a market or a bazaar street which is a constant in almost all the cities and towns. This time around Vasantha Balan has chosen to travel in one of such busy streets in Chennai, the Ranganathan Street and document the lives of people there focusing more on a famous shop called Senthil Murugan Stores. It is not only the noise and goods of a market place but he takes us through the lives of a thousand souls as well.

Jothilingam alias Lingu (newcomer Mahesh), though a bright boy is forced to fend for his mom and sisters after the untimely demise of his dad. He gets recruited to go to Chennai to work for the famous Senthil Murugan Stores along with close buddy Marimuthu. As expected life is not rosy in Chennai and they are thrown into a dismal work ambience. From the dorm they stay to the food that they are given, everything is in a deplorable condition and a completely inhuman boss makes their life all the more miserable. In the middle of all this, Kani (Anjali), a senior in the stores and Lingu get affable after initial unfriendly vibes and love eventually blossoms amidst a cruel atmosphere. Angadi Theru is about how these two survive in a concentration camp like condition and what happens when fate perpetually smiles very cruelly at them.

Kudos to Vasantha Balan for portraying the happenings in a big store with brutal candor! Violation of human right seems to be the order of every day in the stores where thousands shop daily. The work culture (is there one?) is extremely pitiable and our heart goes out to the workers. There is also sexual molestation as a punishment exploiting the economic conditions of the workers. Amidst all this, Balan attempts to show survival instincts which are extremely vital in such a setting. It breaks our hearts when the workers are not even allowed to take rest room sojourns. Even the basic expression of love becomes such a feared one which leads to the suicide of a girl. Nevertheless the director has also conveyed an optimistic message that life will continue to flow amidst any circumstance.

Angadi Theru is an eye opener to all those who are on the rosier side of life. Jayamohan’s razor-sharp dialogues lend the right kind of support to the narration. The dialogues spoken by the road side beggar who marries a dwarf and delivers a dwarf baby is one such instance. Vasantha Balan is successful when our heart jumps with joy with the bashing the Hitler like supervisor Karungali receives from the hero. Director Venkatesh who has portrayed this role is sure to be at the receiving end when he gets out.

Newcomer Mahesh needs to work on his emoting skills a lot. He appears very stiff in many scenes. Commendable performance from Anjali (Katradhu Thamizh fame)! The girl looks every bit her role with an impressive gamut of emotions running through her face. Sure to watch out for! Newcomers form majority of the cast and are satisfactory. Sneha lights up the happenings in a small cameo

Music is scored by Vijay Antony and G V Prakashkumar. Lyrics of Naa Muthukumar render the right feel especially in Aval appadi onrum azhagillai number. Kadaigalai Pesum is a smooth melody tuned in by G V Prakash which showcases Chennai at night. Richard M Nathan who had worked with K V Anand makes his debut as cinematographer and has worked in tandem with the mood of the film.

Director seems to have slackened his grip on the narration in the initial part of post-interval session. The background score and music could have rendered some more support to Angadi Theru. Although the film is a realistic recording of life in a market place, the proceeding becomes a tad too heavy and a craving for some pleasant scene surfaces.

The next time when we visit a market place, we are sure to stop for a while and muse perhaps a few moments about the life of a seller who has sold us a few mundane items. Thanks to Vasantha Balan!

Verdict: A heavy baggage to bring home to!

PAIYAA

2010-05-06T00:06:00.000-07:00

Starring: Karthi, Tamannah.
Direction: Lingusamy
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Production: Thirupathi Brothers

Director Lingusamy traverses on an all new road show in Paiyaa in his home production Tirupathi Brothers and has acquitted himself fairly well. Although romance seems to be the axle in Paiyaa, Lingusamy has skewed away mildly from this and spiced it up with a travel (escape) event as a backdrop.

The film opens up with an ingenious manner of credits flipping on the road and dividers, lucidly indicating the genre of the film. A creative brainwave indeed!

Karthi (Shiva), an engineering graduate with an attitude, is on the look out for a job. He does not seem to be much serious in seeking employment while his friends try their best to settle him. He spots Tamannah (Charu) in a bus stop and it is love at first sight. He finds her on a couple of occasions later and in fact misses an interview in her pursuit. Destiny seems to have something good waiting for him and he gets to spend the most beautiful phase of his life, giving her a ride in the car while waiting to pick the owner of the car at the railway station. Life takes an exciting turn from this point for Karthi who accepts to drop her in Mumbai and thus begins Paiyaa’s journey of romance, action and emotions on a highway with a few turns, some with caution and some without.

Paiyaa zooms forward in the first half where Karthi is at driver’s seat physically and metaphorically. An enjoyable performance from the young actor who appears to relish his role! For the first time in his career, he gets to cover himself with stylish costumes. He sparkles with haughty countenance, sideway glances, mischievous looks, ‘know it all’ attitude and an understated curiosity to know about Tamannah. He reiterates that he can essay any kind of role with aplomb. But there are still some vestiges of a villager in him which he needs to divest when necessary. Tamannah is fresh, youthful and emotes well too. Jagan has a small role in the second half. Karthi’s friends are adept in their performance. Except for looking hot and handsome, the much talked about Milind Soman is wasted and any one could have performed his role.

Yuvan Shankar Raja is the major backbone of Paiyaa with lovely tracks suiting the mood of the film. Tamannah looks as fresh as the raindrops in thuli thuli mazhayai number. Suthude suthude boomi speaks of art director Rajeevan’s work but he could have taken extra care especially about the stationery cloud hovering around the moon. The songs are all chartbusters and have all been picturized very aesthetically. Priya Manikandan’s costumes are in sync with the nature of characters and the mood of the film. Brinda Sarathy’s dialogues evoke laughter at the right places.

The second half slackens with some of the actions sequences appear contrived especially in the climax. How can someone even lift his head when beaten by a powerful metal rod? It is difficult to comprehend despite attributing it to cinematic liberties. The climax fights intend to be more for showcasing Karthi’s heroism than for the story warranting it. And why is Karthi shown as someone who does not speak English despite being a city bred engineer with urban friends for company?

Director Lingusamy has stuck to the genre that he has chosen for most part. He has recorded romance in a beautiful manner especially when Karthi communicates his feelings to his friends seeking advice and his dignified attitude towards Tamannah. The car chasing sequence in the open field is absolutely brilliant and so is Karthi going reverse in the opposite direction. Cinematographer Madhie needs plaudits here. Crisp editing by Anthony especially in the action sequences is a major plus point of Paiyaa and deserves a special mention.

All in all, a stylish, light hearted family entertainer for the summer!

Verdict: Pacy road show with a few humps on a straight run

RETTAISUZHI

2010-05-05T23:51:00.000-07:00

Starring: K Balachander, Bharathiraja, Anjali.
Direction: Thamira
Music: Karthik Raja
Production: S Pictures

Writer-director Thamira deserves credits for having brought two legendary filmmakers of Tamil cinema together on screen. They ignite the screen with their loud-mouthed, belligerent ways as the two constantly cantankerous old men. Ironically, as the two characters come to blows with each other, they guarantee some of the memorable moments of the movie. But what Thamira seemingly achieved in terms of casting has not provided enough prospects to the rest of Rettaisuzhi, albeit the strong characterization of both Bharathiraja and K Balachander.

Communist Bharathiraja and Congress man Balachander, who for no rhyme or apparent reason, are up in arms against each other. The animosity probably cropped from the fact that Bharathiraja wins an election in which he contested against Balachander (and we never asked whether they were friends before the elections anyways). But when Bharathiraja’s flashback unfolds, we get a clear picture of what the real deal is. Balachander is the reason behind Bharathiraja’s celibacy; he refuses to marry his sister off to the latter and the sister kills herself.

The village is quite used to their tussles and apart from a few kids, who seem to take sides, no one really cares. When Aari, raised by Balachander, and Anjali, raised by Bharathiraja fall in love all hell breaks loose. The bunch of adolescent kids takes the issue in their hands and attempts to thaw the men’s friendship. But in the end, are they also successful in coercing the men to get Anjali and Aari married with their blessing - that’s the interesting catch.

Without a doubt, the meatier of the two roles belongs to Bharathiraja. His reverberatingly menacing voice supports the role hugely and we actually mean it as a compliment. He flashes complex and varied emotions in a matter of milliseconds. What Balachander loses out in terms of strong characterization, he gains in one single scene: when he parades grandly after pronouncing his decision on the couple’s wedding, the audience invariably tend to give him a standing ovation.

It’s also probably ridiculous to write about their acting skills for the two have literally, successfully chartered the careers of hundreds of actors in South Indian cinema.

As for the others, the kids often get infuriatingly consistent with their acting skills and they are annoying for the mere fact that there are so many of them. But it’s also them who provide the movie its required comic relief. Special mention to the kid named ‘Cheenu Ramasamy’ who walks away with a few applauses towards the end of the movie.

Anjali has a pleasing screen presence and her performance is quite endearing as well. She infuses life into her role that renders the role more credibility.

Dialogues are another major plus for Rettaisuzhi, which also seem politically motivated, with a tinge of humor. Not many people (including Kushboo) are spared. Let’s hope that our sense of humor is indeed building up.

Thamira’s Rettaisuzhi could have been a better watch if only he had packed the script tightly with events - for he is aided with a whole army of kids and two interesting men who are capable of much more that what is in display. But what you get in the end is a soggy biscuit!

Verdict: Watch it for the two legends!

SURA

2010-05-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

Starring: Vijay, Tamannah, Vadivelu.
Direction: SP Rajkumar
Music: Mani Sharma
Production: Sun Pictures

Sura being Vijay's 50th film, movie buffs and Vijay fans were looking forward for something different from their star. However, there is no variety in the film and it happens to be a usual Vijay fare. The script seems to be a combination from his earlier ventures. Of course, the actor does not disappoint his hard core fans, as Sura has all the elements that will satiate them.

Sura is about the lives and plight of the fishermen living in Yazh Nagar, a fishing hamlet in Tamil Nadu. The story, no doubt centers only on Vijay, who is known as Sura.

It is Vijay’s attempt to thwart the efforts of villain Dev Gill (who played the villain in the popular Telugu film Magadheera) from acquiring the hamlet to develop it into a resort. In chips the hero, fights for justice and dramatically obtains patta for the land so that everyone living there could build a house. However the duel between the hero and villain could have been more gripping.

The role of the heroine in this film leaves a lot of room for debate. is it really essential to have one in Sura? Tamannah appears in some dance sequences, a few scenes and in all adorns the movie as a glamour piece. This is perhaps the first film, where Tamannah marries on screen! Yes, Sura ends on a happy note with the lead pair entering wed lock.

Talking about the heroine, her introduction itself is very amusing. Tamannah attempts suicide by drowning in the sea, for the simple reason that the pet dog goes missing. Of course, the hero makes his dramatic appearance to save her. Somewhere in the middle love blossoms and then follows a couple of duets.

While talking about the hero Vijay’s introduction it is even more amusing than the heroine’s and needs a special mention here. The movie begins with a cyclone hitting the fishing hamlet and all the fishermen moving back to the shores for safety. Vijay, of course is missing and everyone is in search of him. Being the hero, he saves one and all before making a very dramatic appearance from mid-sea.

The fights in Sura could have been choreographed well, considering Vijay’s performance levels in other films. Though there are some gravity-defying stunts, the fight seems to lack the punch and force that one usually associates with a performer like the Ilaya Thalapathy.

For an excellent dancer, this film offers very little scope for exhibiting his dancing skills too. The Bommayi, Choo Mandra Kali song happens to be that ‘once more’ type of song, while all others except En Peru Saravedi does not turn up the heat.

Vadivelu’s mere presence is enjoyable and there is nothing much to say about the comedy track. The scene where Vennira Aadai Murthy renders the popular song Marudamalai Maamuniye in a concert and Vadivelu gestures not to exert too much but thinking that Vadivelu is coercing him to sing even more forcefully, Vennira Aadai Murthy sings with full gusto, had the audience in splits of laughter.

There are umpteen numbers of irrational scenes in the film that has even the Vijay fans squirm in their seats with dissatisfaction. The classic example is when the actor lights up the stove with the flip of his fingers.

Vijay has made sure to draw the attention of the Tamil audience by addressing the sensitive Sri Lankan Tamils issue and the Rameswaram fishermen’s plight. These scenes were probably included to pacify the Tamils.

The negative aspects of Sura are no doubt the music, illogical, if not slow screenplay, gravity defying stunts, slow moving scenes.

Verdict: Sura is a usual Vijay fare, a treat for his hard core fans.