Category Archives: Reviews

Movie Reviews

English Movies, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Thriller, Worth a Watch

The Gift Review

3 Comments

The Gift Review – The Gift is an American psychological thriller released in 2015.  A young married couple Simon and Robyn moves from Chicago into a Los Angeles suburb where they meet Gordon, a high schoolmate of Simon. Gordon starts interfering in their life by giving numerous gifts which make Simon uncomfortable.

A psychological thriller need not be the one that takes you to a different world and send chills through your spine, but it can be the one which narrates a sequence of simple incidents but still instill a fear in you for the probability of finding yourself in such a spot. The Gift movie is very successful in doing that to you. The movie is slow but nevertheless keeps you glued to the screen till the end. The entire tone of the movie is kept gloomy to reflect the mood of the film. The characters are sketched brilliantly to increase the tension as the movie progresses. The climax is sure to leave you dumbstruck. Director and actor Joel Edgerton steals the show with his performance. His composed acting is a major plus for the film. After seeing him in movies like Exodus  Gods and Kings, this one is a very contrast role for him and he proves he has the variety in him.

If you have watched a lot of psychological thrillers, in particular, South Korean movies, then you may not find this to be an extraordinary movie. If you haven’t watched many then you might find this very thrilling.

High Points: The characterization, Development of the plot, The ending of the movie, Joel Edgerton’s performance a Gordo.

Low Points: The pace of the movie is a bit slow and may not work for all.

Overall if you love psychological thrillers then The Gift is truly a gift you would enjoy watching.

Worth a Watch

Action, Crime, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Thriller, Worth a Watch

Thoongaa Vanam Review

6 Comments

Thoongaa Vanam Review – Thoongaa Vanam is a Tamil action crime thriller released in 2015. This is an official remake of French movie Nuit Blanche. CK Diwakar an officer in Narcotics Control Bureau along with his colleague steal drugs from a smuggling gang to make some quick money. The boss of the smuggling gang kidnaps Diwakar’s son and demands him to return the stolen drug.

Kamal Hassan demands a greater deal of maturity from the viewers for he had taken a script and stuck to the core theme of the script. He hasn’t taken any time to explain what NCB is. Hasn’t wasted time in introduction scene, songs and comedy track. The movie gets on track right from the first frame which opens on a hazy windshield with the evergreen Chandrababu song “சிரிப்பு வருது சிரிப்பு வருது…” playing in the radio. Even the character background of Kamal is revealed only later in dialogues during his first interaction with Prakash Raj. Kudos to Kamal, Director Rajesh M Selva and team for taking a script and staying in the perimeter of its true essence.

The next biggest strength of the movie is its cast. Prakash Raj, Trisha, Sampath Raj, Yugi Sedhu and Kishore all of them fit their roles very well. Kamal has performed his role at ease. The chemistry between him and his son reminds us of Uttama Villain. The trademark Kamal’s humor sprinkled in the dialogues in many places of the movie.

High Points: A different attempt in Tamil Cinema breaking some of the commercial formula, casting, action sequences.

Low Points: The original script itself has been witnessed in many crime thrillers and it lacks pace in the first half.

Overall Thoongavanam is a much-needed break for Tamil Cinema. It doesn’t aspire to be a milestone in Indian Cinema but a sincere attempt to give a good cinema to the audience.

Worth a Watch

 

Comedy, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Worth a Watch

Naanum Rowdy Dhaan Review

3 Comments

Naanum Rowdy Dhaan Review – Naanum Rowdy Dhaan is a Tamil comedy film released in 2015. Pandian, son of a police inspector aspires to be a Rowdy. He falls for a hearing impaired girl Kadambari who seeks vengeance with a real rowdy for killing her mother. Will Pandian be able to help her and become a real rowdy is the story of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan.

“நானும் ரௌடி தான் (Naanum Rowdy Dhaan)” is one of the famous dialogues from Vadivelu which is already established with Tamil movie audience. Director Vignesh Sivan has chosen this as the title for his movie which  is very apt for the character of Pandian.  As you would expect from the movie, the story doesn’t get a bit serious at any point in time. Right from the first shot till the last the entire narration is handled nonchalantly. Parthiban is a big strength for the movie and his performance stands out compared to the others. The second notable performance is the dialogues of RJ Balaji. Apart from this the performance of Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara are not up to the mark in comparison to what they are capable of. In particular, I was a bit disappointed by Vijay Sethupathi’s performance. He seems to be disconnected from his character in many places.

George William’s cinematography is a big plus for the movie. He has captured the beauty of Pondicherry very well.  Apart from this everything else in the movie is just above average to keep the audience engaged. Editing and continuity lag in many places cause an unpleasant effect.

High Points: The plot of the movie is entertaining, Cinematography of George, Parthiban’s performance

Low Points: Patchy continuity in many places, average performance of Vijay Sethupathy and Nayantara

Despite the flaws, this is still an engaging entertainer that you can watch without much thinking.

Worth a Watch

 

Animation, Comedy, Drama, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Inside Out Review

3 Comments

Inside Out Review – Inside Out is an English animated comedy- drama released in 2015. The plot revolves around a little girl Riley as her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco, the five different emotions in her struggle to help her cope up with the new environment.

When I saw Pixar’s Up I realised that the animated movies have a new definition now and they are no longer the cute ones to woo the kids but can be emotionally engaging to adults as well. Inside Out takes it to the next level. Although there are plenty of elements for the kids to enjoy, the core of the movie deals with the inner self of human behavior. It is philosophical and explores the deepest part of a human mind and has reflections drawn on how it affects our behavior and decisions.

The emoticons are cute, with happiness, sadness, anger having a much larger part to play compared to disgust and fear. This is again true to human emotions. There are a lot of parallels you would see in the movie. The entire world as perceived by the inner mind has been creatively designed. The credit sequence at the end of the movie is also very good and funny so don’t miss that one.

High Points: The plot for the movie is phenomenal, the screenplay and the execution is wonderful, the animation quality is good as you would expect from a Pixar movie.

Low Points: There are not much of low points for this movie.

Overall Inside Out is not yet another animated movie that teaches moral values to the kid. But its much more than that. It is a movie that every adult should watch. Of course, you could watch this with your kids. If you haven’t seen this rent it out and watch it.

Must Watch

Action, Can Skip it, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies

10 Endrathukulla Review

2 Comments

10 Endrathukulla Review – 10 Endrathukulla is a Tamil action thriller released in 2015. A skillful car thief gets involved in the kidnapping of a woman without his knowledge. How he comes through the situation is the plot of 10 Endrathukulla.

Director Vijay Milton had aspirations of creating a racy movie with some high voltage action sequences. He has achieved the output he had expected but missed the story by a mile. The situations are very disconnected, this has been mainly due to the fact that the screenplay has been designed to maintain suspense till the end. This has not been successful as the movie does not connect with the audience at all as they fail to connect with the purpose of the protagonist.

Vikram’s performance could not save the engaging factor of the movie. There are enough heroes who are dependent on mass intro sequences, this is not needed for Vikram as he has extraordinary acting skills and dedication that would woo the audience. There is no strong villain in the movie, there are three of them who try to leave the responsibility to the other and in the end it is so fragmented. Retaining the suspense to the very end has caused the screenplay to slow down to a great extent and in many places they have used cliched double meaning dialogues to push it further. Samantha has some solid role to play during the last twenty minutes in the movie which she has done well.

High Points: The stunt sequences have been choreographed very well. There is nothing much  apart from this in the movie.

Low Points: The screenplay is predominantly not engaging. Absence of a strong villain.

Overall 10 Endrathukulla is like a sweet cherry fruit dipped in a spicy sambar. Cherry might be delicious but doesn’t go well with the combination. So is the brilliant action sequences built on a below average storyline.

Can Skip it

Genre, New Wave, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Worth a Watch

Masala Padam Review

6 Comments

Masala Padam Review – Masala Padam is a Tamil new wave cinema released in 2015.  A conflict between online bloggers and a commercial masala film producer results in a challenge wherein the bloggers have to come up with a commercial film script without the cliches in six months and the producer would produce it. To come up with a script they decide to follow three different persons in real life to create their incidents.

First and foremost this is not a spoof movie which it seemed to be due to the casting and some of the promos. Rather it is about making a masala movie.

The movie is a new wave cinema and is abstract for a common viewer. It deals with the core question if making a masala movie necessary to woo the audience. There are a lot of technical references to script writing and the social media. This may not have connected with many folks. I thoroughly enjoyed the buildup portion of the movie and the core conflict. However post the midway the movie’s purpose shifts from script writing to the lives of three people.  This is where it lost the plot.

If the script writers for the movie have given more emphasis on movie making itself, it would have been a great movie.

High Points: The plot and core conflict, The scene in which the TV reporter asks a common man if he has seen any reality movie and he refers to the Baasha sums it all, Bobby Simha and Shiva’s performance, there are no unwanted song or dance in the movie.

Low Points: Casting and promotion could have been better for instance for the rom-com hero they could have had a cast who was as popular as Shiva and Bobby Simha, The shifting of core conflict from script writing post the midpoint caused a disconnect.

The movie is well made despite its flaws and definitely would interest you if you are interested in movie making. If you are not interested in movie making then this may not engage you so much. I am giving this a watchable rating for the plot.

Worth a Watch

English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, SciFi

The Martian Review

2 Comments

The Martian Review – The Martian is an American science fiction film released in 2015. During a manned mission to Mars, the base is hit by a Martian storm. They are forced to abandon the machine and lose one of the crew member Mark Watney in the storm and presumed to be dead. But Mark survives and has to find a way to survive till he gets a help in 4 years. Does he survive is the plot of The Martian.

Director Ridley Scott has struck the right chord yet again to give a movie that is thoroughly entertaining and also appeals to your intelligence. I was not very much impressed with Exodus Gods and Kings, but The Martian makes it up for all. The movie would remind you of many lost alone movies like Cast Away and also the space movies like Gravity and Interstellar. The story is a compelling tale of human perseverance against all the odds.

There is a lot of scientific accuracy behind many of the incidents that take place and a few in which they have taken some creative liberty to bring in dramatic elements. The movie is based on Andy Weir’s novel in the same name. Ridley Scott has chosen to focus on the determination and survival of a person more and let the scientific theories run in the background.  This is one of the greatest strengths of the movie which makes it a widely appealing flick. Matt Damon has performed very well and this would be one of his most remembered movies.

High Points: The movie is based on a best-selling Novel, The  screenplay captures the essence of human perseverance, The visuals of the Martian planet, Matt Damon’s performance, Scientific theories and their accuracy.

Low Points: Not many low points, the climax I felt was a bit over dramatic.

Overall The Martian is a space movie that you would enjoy as you have enjoyed Gravity and Interstellar. The movie keeps you engaged for two and a half hour and is a trip worth taking when it is in theaters.

Must Watch

Fantasy, Genre, Historic, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Wait for DVD/TV

Puli Review

7 Comments

Puli Review – Puli is a Tamil fantasy adventure movie released in 2015. Many years ago a superior race known as Vedhalam had won wars over the human race in India and ruled them. The atrocities of their general  in the kingdom caused misery to people’s life. Circumstances lead an adopted son of a village chief to take on the might of the Vedhalam race.

There has been enough negative trolling on Puli review on the social media. This increased my curiosity to watch Puli and understand why it could have gone so bad. This review is my take on Puli and an unbiased opinion.

Director Chimbu Deven had treated us with periodic movie Imsai Arasan 23 am Pulikesi. He has now experimented with periodic fantasy movie. Post the era of Vittalacharya there has not been any successful attempt in Tamil Cinema on any fantasy adventure. Even if it had been it has not become wildly successful. Most of the Tamil filmmakers stayed out of this genre for quite some time. The financial budget and relevance of such stories in the modern era should have been the fear.

Vijay and Chimbu Deven should be lauded for going beyond the usual mass masala movie to create a fantasy adventure. It is definitely a welcome change to Tamil Cinema. However where the movie has gone bad is in the script writing department. The plot was in place which has similarities to 1948 classic Vedhala Ulagam starring T.R Mahalingam directed by A.V Meiyappan, Pa. Neelakantan and M.V Raman. Many of the trollers in social media may not have been aware of such a movie which was a mass entertainer of its time and beats many of the fantasy movie stories that are out there in the west.

In the movie Puli the writers have fallen prey to push mass masala film elements which seem out of place. The dual between Sudeep and Viay is one of the important portions of the movie. Sudeep says,  “Intha kottaikke Thalapathy naan thaan” and Vijay replies “Intha kottaikkuthane…” looks very cliched and out of place for the movie. The film is filled with such cliches throughout including the dance numbers that doesn’t fit the genre of the movie barring one song which happens in the Kingdom.

The first half of the movie is long and boring. I felt why did I come for this movie. The scenes were too disconnected, the artists eye line match was out of place in many occasions. This is sure to test your patience and by the time the interval block comes it would have disconnected the audience from the movie. The second half of the movie which seems to be the actual story which the director wanted to convey is sure to engage you in a much better fashion. Thanks to the characterisation of Sudeep and Sridevi who help in making the movie watchable. If someone walked into the movie hall just for the second half they might be wondering why people are upset about the movie. Shruthi Haasan and Hansika are just used for glamor quotient. The songs are more jarring to the years than being pleasant.

The big plus for the movie is the production design by T. Muthuraj. He has aesthetically created some of the sets which looks grand and help you connect to the movie. Also, the VFX department has worked hard to add more grandeur to Muthuraj’s set.

High Points: A fantasy adventure genre for Tamil Cinema, Sridevi’s performance, Muthuraj’s production design, Mannavane Mannavane song choreography, Talking birds, frog, Lilliputs would entice kids.

Low Points: Screenplay is a big let down, Cliched mass elements in the movie, Songs and choreography, Title of the movie doesn’t fit in well, There should have been much more creativity in differentiating Vedhalam race and human race, Long and boring first half.

In 2002 Rajinikanth tried a different genre in Baba and it failed when it released in theaters, but later the home audiences enjoyed watching the movie on their TV sets once it was edited and all expectations died down. Vijay’s Puli is one such movie. When it comes on TV hopefully with some of the cliches edited the home audience would like it.

Overall Puli is a wannabe fantasy adventure movie that works in parts in the second half. A better script writing would have helped it to appeal to the audience. Still it is not as bad a movie as it is being trolled about, it could be watched when played on TV.

Wait for DVD/TV

Action, Comedy, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

The Man From U.N.C.L.E Review

8 Comments

The Man From U.N.C.L.E Review – The Man from U.N.C.L.E is an English comedy spy film released in 2015. This is based on the television series with the same name. Solo, an US CIA agent and a KGB operative have to come together to stop yet another nuclear bombing.

The movie is an out and out Guy Ritchie style movie. If you have loved Guy Ritchie’s movies you would love this one as well. The movie is stylish, witty and engaging right from the word go! The first one-hour of the movie just moves so fast that it was hard to realize the time go by. The situations are comical in nature and entice you with some amazing visuals and cool background score. Henry Cavill still has the expression from A to B but still has managed to be convincing in the role of a CIA agent. Ilya Kuryakin’s role is more adorable one in the movie. The tiff between Cavill and Kuryakin in the first hour is the most enjoyable part of the movie.

The movie slows down a bit once they are set on a mission but quickly picks pace towards the end. The traditional trademark of Guy Ritchie movies of repeating the same sequences with missing pieces is used in here as well and is brilliant to keep the narration interesting. The art direction is also done well to recreate the period setup.

High Points: Stylish visuals, Background score for the movie, Ilya Kuryakin’s performance, and the sequences of tiff between Cavill and Kuryakin, true to a Guy Ritchie movie.

Low Points: Once they are on the mission the pace slows down a bit. But this can be ignored.

 Overall this one is a very enjoyable spy movie completely presented in Guy Ritchie’s style. If you love spy movies and also Guy Ritchie’s movies then you are in for a treat. Don’t miss this one while this is in the theaters.

Must Watch

Crime, Genre, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Thriller

Seven Days Review

4 Comments

Seven Days Review – Seven Days is a South Korean crime thriller movie released in 2007. Yoo Ji-yeon is a successful lawyer. Her daughter is kidnapped and she has to win a case to release a convict with death sentence for a murder to save her daughter.

The movie is very slick and engaging throughout. The suspense of the plot is maintained throughout and keeps you guessing on what is going to happen next. Yunjin Kim has performed her role very well. She comes across very convincingly for a lawyer and a mother trying to save her daughter. The scene in which she is interacting with the criminal with utmost confidence and the scene in which she breaks down for her daughter there is a sharp contrast and powerful.

The script keeps building up well and knots tighten as they try to break it. In the end everything falls in place. The movie has a strong take on the moral values and the conflict between moral values versus the selfish benefit for one’s own family.

High Points: The script is very thrilling and engaging throughout, Yunjin Kim’s performance, suspense maintained throughout the movie.

Low Points: Not many for this movie.

This movie is remade in Bollywood as Jazbaa featuring Aishwarya Rai and Irrfan Khan. From the trailer it seems to be neatly done, maintaining some of the core essence of the movie. It definitely promises to be a good movie and has a very promising cast for the roles that had been in the original.

Overall Seven Days is a treat for crime thriller fans and it does go beyond dealing with emotional dilemma of ethics. If you love crime thrillers, this one is a must watch for you. This one has some explicit violence scenes and viewers discretion is required.

Must Watch

Comedy, Drama, Genre, Malayalam Movies, Rating, Reviews, Worth a Watch

Kunjiramayanam Review

8 Comments

Kunjiramayanam Review – Kunjiramayanam is a Malayalam comedy movie released in 2015. Kunjiraman a youth living in a village called Desham unknowingly brings upon some curse to the place. The plot revolves around the curse, the superstitions and how the people living around deal with it.

Director Basil Joseph has taken a very innocent story that deals with the simplistic lives of the people. The movie is sort of a bouquet of memories that you would have experienced from childhood spent in a village. The movie is a lighthearted fun watch with some good quality humor. Vineeth Sreenivasan has essayed the role of Kunjiraman very well. The ensemble of cast who also have significant role to play in the movie ably supports him. Dealing with so many characters and providing them some significant screen space is not an easy task for a first time director. Basil Joseph has handled it very well.

The liquor shop sequence involving the liquor brand Salsa is hilarious and is the best part of the movie. Aju Varghese and Dhyan Sreenivasan are part of a sub plot in the movie, which is also very entertaining. Similarly the sub plot featuring Mamukkoya as Well done Vasu is entertaining. There are many such things to look forward to in this movie. There is no one person who is central to the movie but the village and its people form the core of the story.

High Points: Very simplistic plot, Good humor and good ensemble of cast, screenplay and characterization, liquor shop sequence, multiple subplots that are entertaining.

Low points: If you are expecting a larger than life movie then you might be disappointed. You need to catch the subtle references to enjoy the movie.

Overall Kunjiramayanam is a wholesome entertainer that would give a hearty laugh to the viewers this Onam. While you can argue that it can be done much better, still it is a very laudable effort for a first timer. Go and watch it in the theaters.

Worth a Watch

Action, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Thriller, Worth a Watch

Thani Oruvan Review

12 Comments

Thani Oruvan Review – Thani Oruvan is a Tamil action thriller movie released in 2015. Mithran an IPS officer wants to take on organized crime that happens in the society by tracing the links of unrelated petty crimes reported on a daily basis to an organized crime source. But at the source is a fearsome villain Siddharth Abhimanyu who is invincible. Will Mithran be successful in this challenge is the plot of Thani Oruvan.

Director M.Raja has given a very racy thriller that is entertaining for most of the parts. After a long time this is a good break for Jayam Ravi. The script has been developed with the sole intention of giving a compelling thriller. They have failed to establish the core conflict very well. The reason why Mithran is so passionate about revealing the organized crime is not established very well as that is the core of the movie. The strength of the movie is Arvind Swamy. He has essayed the character of a fearsome, intelligent and unapologetic badass guy very well. The clashes between Jayam Ravi and Arvind Swamy are done well.

It was so pleasing to see that there was no bar song, unnecessary comedy track. Hope other filmmakers take clue from this and start concentrating on the strength of the screenplay rather than giving into the temptation of masala formula.

High Points: A very engaging script, Arvind Swamy’s performance and the character of Siddharth Abhimanyu, No unnecessary bar sequences and comedy tracks

Low Points: The length of the movie is bit long for the plot reducing this would have made it more racy, There should have been more effort to create the core conflict very well which would have made this more impactful. There are few loopholes in the plot, which do not get highlighted due to the raciness of the script.

Overall Thani Oruvan is definitely a very engaging thriller that needs to be watched in the theaters.

Worth a Watch