Category Archives: Tamil Movies

Tamil Movie Reviews

Drama, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Romance, Tamil Movies

Kaatru Veliyidai Review

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Kaatru Veliyidai Review – Kaatru Veliyidai is a Tamil romantic drama released in 2017. VC an Indian Air Force fighter pilot is captured by Pakistani army as a war prisoner during the Kargil war, his hope to meet Leela once more keeps him alive.

Director Maniratnam creates a yet another gem out of his “Akshaya Patra” (inexhaustible vessel) of love. He still has some much more stories to tell. In Kaatru Veliyidai, he deals with yet another tale of romance the core conflict being male chauvinism. The canvas for the tale he has chosen is quite interesting. It is a love between an Air Force fighter pilot and a doctor. The swag of a pilot naturally makes the male chauvinist behavior very believable. I will not dwell more on the story and spoil any fun for you.

Ravi Varman’s cinematography is a great plus. The entire movie is a visual treat. The breathtaking view of the Himalayan mountain range makes it even richer. I couldn’t take the eyes from the screen. Extreme close up shots, communicating with eyes, a lesser number of dialogues, a slow movement of the scene to build up the drama all makes it very appealing. I love drama in the movies, off late watching the treatment of directors like Hari, KV Anand and many other directors I have led to believe that slow moving shots, communication through silence all have become old fashioned. But this vintage magic of Mani sir is still magical. Those short and sweet dialogues still evoke the emotions in you. Those silent visuals still teleport you.

The most striking performance is from Aditi Rao Hydari. She is not only eye candy but her eyes speak a lot. The scene in which she looks into the mirror and questions herself, she has performed so well. Karthi’s performance is also good. At times you feel he goes overboard with his performance but all this works well to establish his male chauvinist attitude. RJ Balaji for a change has acted in a mellowed down manner. He could make you laugh even with serious dialogues without trying too hard with mixing Tamil and English.

The music and background score of AR Rahman is very apt for the visuals. Mani sir has re-used some of the iconic romance scenes from his earlier movies shamelessly. And we too would enjoy these shamelessly as they still stay fresh after so many years.

High Points: The treatment of the core conflict of love, Breathtaking visuals, slow drama and communication through silence, Aditi’s performance are all high points.

Low Points: If you don’t like silence in movies or slow drama you might feel a bit restless.

Overall I would say Vintage Mani Sir is back. He still has a lot of love (stories) left in him. If you love movies like Mouna Raagam, Alaipayuthey, Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya, you would love this one too.

Must Watch

 

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

Kavan Review

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Kavan Review – Kavan is a Tamil thriller released in 2017.  Thilak an aspiring Television anchor takes on the task of exposing an unethical practice of the media to sell news.

(Since IPL 10 has started I have used cricketing metaphors :))

Director K V Anand has batted in his home turf. He has also eliminated some of the mistakes in his recent movies. Instead of playing defense there are sixes flying all over the park in the first half. What happens to a match that starts so exciting and a wicket falls? Even some good stroke play gets boring. Kavan’s wicket falls in the interval block. The second half becomes a customary end to the proceedings with some cliched twists.

The first half of the story not only introduces the main characters of the plot but also introduces what happens in the media world to the audience. The tiff between the two lead characters, the social issue all of them adds extra flavour to the whole scene. The only flaw you could point out is some of the elaborate scenes of the reality show and lengthy TR dialogues could have been made crisp. Nevertheless, it is an entertaining first half and sets up your excitement for the second half.  K V Anand also has teased the audience with a dramatic interval block but reverses it to what fits in with the story.

The second half is a let down for me. Although the social issue takes the center stage, the script runs out of ideas for moving the story adding additional knots and removing them very convincingly. Everything looks a bit artificial. In the climax scene, there is no tension at all as you know the hero is going to win as he has the upper hand. If you had empathized on the villain you might have some thrilling moments here.

Coming to the checklist of KV Anand, many of it is fulfilled in this one like a party song, romance on the top of a high mountain peak, KV Anand trolling himself, a social issue. But for one thing having a song after the death of a character.

High Points: Very engaging first half, the core plot of exposing unethical media practices, Vijay Sethupathi and Madonna Sebastian’s screen presence.

Low Points: Lengthy dialogue scenes, Cliched second half.

Overall Kavan would be a treat for masala movie lovers where you want to watch a movie without thinking anything. Hence this gets a Worth a Watch verdict.

Worth a Watch

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

Bairavaa Review

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Bairavaa Review – Bairavaa is a Tamil action movie released in 2017. Bairavaa , a collection agent for a bank falls in love with Malarvizhi. However, he has to fight against some deadly villains before he could marry her.

A hero who is invincible from the start solves people’s issues like his own is the basic requirement of a masala film. Bairavaa is one such movie. The makers have banked upon the star value of Vijay and created a feast that only his fans can enjoy. He fights against some deadly villains, dances to the catchy beats, delivers power-packed punches to the villains. Keerthy Suresh’s character is pivotal to the script to give a strong purpose for the hero. Satish, Motta Rajendran and Thambi Ramaiah handle the comedy department. Out of these the witty one-liners of Satish make you laugh. Jagapathi Babu and Daniel Balaji play the cruel villains. Daniel Balaji is definitely threatening as a villain and a good choice for the movie.

The minimum guarantee elements still don’t make the script cohesive. At no point in time, you get connected to the hero’s purpose as to start with it is not his purpose and also some very easy loopholes defy logic to insult your intelligence. If they have concentrated on getting the script tighter Bairavaa could have become a very promising entertainer.

Contrary to the popular belief it is difficult to create successful commercial entertainer.  Vijay might need to wait for his next movie to strike it right.

High Points: Vijay’s performance, The witty dialogues from Sathish, Performance of Daniel Balaji, Chase sequences.

Low Points: The flashback that doesn’t have a connect with Vijay,  Weak screenplay not able to connect to the audience.

Overall, you can skip Bairavaa unless you are a hardcore Vijay fan or plan to watch this one with a hall filled with Vijay fans where every punch from the hero is applauded.

Can Skip it

 

 

 

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

Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada Review

Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada Review – Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada is a romantic thriller released in 2016. Leela goes on a road trip on a bike with her friend’s brother. What begins to be a feel good romantic journey turns ugly when they meet with an accident.

The movie starts with a statement that it has been inspired by the scene in The Godfather. This scene should be where injured Michael plots revenge against the corrupt policeman. If you are expecting a VTV kind of a movie you would be in for a surprise as it is not a romantic drama. Only the first half of the movie is dedicated to romance and you would see all the songs appear in the first half of the movie itself. Then the second half is the inspiration part.

This is GVM’s way of movie making and story telling. You may like this or hate it but beyond everything you see a genuine sincerity in making what he believes in. There is a very casual approach in the first half as the scenes and the dialogues flow like they have been taken using a candid camera. There is also an element of surprise about the name of the lead protagonist. This is kept under wraps till the final sequence in the movie. He is passionate about riding his bullet and the initial scenes and dialogues would connect well with the biker community. Manjima Mohan is an eye candy who follows the tradition of a GVM’s heroine.

The second half of the movie is gritty and keeps you at the edge of the seat. A genre that I believe that GVM excels in. He can create a gruesome villain out of anyone. Baba Sehgal in this case.  The placement and creation of Thalli Pogathey song are beautiful and would be one of the high points in the movie. This kind of reminded me of a different opening by Myskkin in Pisasu. The hospital scene, the chase, and episode at the doctor’s house are the most engaging part of the movie. What happens to be a breezy ride on the tracks becomes a roller coaster ride. However, the big minus for the movie is the climax. When the suspense is unveiling, the story of movies Gangs of Wasseypur or RGV’s political crime drama is narrated with new characters so all the suspense built so far becomes for nothing. The non-linear editing with flashes of scenes, in the beginning, is the only knot that ties this. Still, this is not very effective. I only wished there was a foreshadowing done a bit earlier.

High Points: Thalli Pogathey song, Cinematography of the travel and the fight sequences, the hospital and final chase sequences. Picturization of the songs.

Low Points: The climax is the low point in the movie as the audience were not prepared for it.

Overall AYM is a movie which offers you many things you might like than hate. If you are able to withstand the disappointment in the climax you would be able to appreciate all other good things it offers.

For the sincere attempt and for Thalli Pogathey this one is

Worth a Watch

PS: A note to GVM and other Tamil directors, when you portray IPS officers please don’t let them sport a beard. Understand, undercover cops are allowed to have a beard, but when they take up normal duty and wear the uniform they are not allowed to have a beard.

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

Parandhu Sella Vaa Review

Parandhu Sella Vaa Review – Parandhu Sella Vaa is a Tamil romantic comedy released in 2016. Sampath is a loser in life when it comes to romance. He instantly falls in love with every girl he meets but nothing clicks. Things change when he travels to Singapore for work.

After a long time, we have a Tamil movie entirely shot in Singapore. And the team has done a great justice to the location for they have captured the beauty of Singapore very vividly. Be it the skyscrapers, the botanical garden, zoo, public transport, Chinese garden and more. The pan shot that flies high to capture the beauty unfolds beautifully on the big screen. This would be a very good selling point for the movie.

Slapstick comedy script works with people who love slapstick comedy. There are a lot of references to the present day scenarios, TV serials and movies which would be enjoyable if you have watched them. The team for comedy track is very strong with RJ Balaji, Sathish and Karunakaran. Out of the trio, Sathish has a more screen space and his witty one liners make the audience laugh out loud. RJ Balaji is in his usual wits and his imitation of Enthiran Robo for running an illegal business is hilarious. His screen time is less and leaves you wanting for more. Joe Malloori as Sathish’s roommate aids in the comedy track.

The next big surprise and glue to the whole story is actress Narelle Kheng. Narelle is a Chinese actress based out of Singapore. The main story picks up once she enters the plot. She is attractive and appears very comfortable on screen.

Hero of the movie is Luthfudeen. This is his first movie as the main hero after a short role in Saivam. His body language fits in well for playing the character of a loser. But with respect to comedy timings he would need to evolve more.  Aishwarya Rajesh has a different role with modern and urban outfits.

The other major characters in the movie were played by new artists and you could see a start difference in performance with experienced artists.

High Points: Visuals of Singapore, Narelle Kheng’s character, Comedy of Sathish and RJ Balaji, Songs, A grand looking product with a shoe string budget.

Low Points: Screenplays gets sluggish in the portions where it does not have the comedians or Narelle Kheng, Lack of reaction shots doesn’t let you travel with a character.

Overall Parandhu Sella Vaa is a very sincere attempt to produce the output of a visual grandeur in a shoe string budget. The comedy and Narelle Kheng are a strength of the movie. If you are not into surreal comedy you may miss the fun. This would be a treat to all surreal comedy lovers.

Worth a watch for all surreal comedy lovers

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

Aandavan Kattalai Review

Aandavan Kattalai Review – Aandavan Kattalai is a Tamil satirical film released in 2016. A young man named Gandhi runs away from his village and meets a broker to help him go to London to work.  However, his visa gets rejected. Was Gandhi able to go to London? This forms the rest of the plot.

Director Manikandan once again has portrayed desperation of a common man so beautifully in Aandavan Kattalai. The script is full of satire. It not only makes you laugh but has a very strong statement against middle-men. The characters of Gandhi, his friend Muthu Pandi and news reporter Karmegha Kuzhali has been sketched very well. In particular, the first 40 minutes of the movie belongs to Yogi Babu playing Muthu Pandi role. His witty dialogues are a rib tickler. Post that there is a little bit of dullness in the script which again picks up once Gandhi meets Karmegha Kuzhali. The absence of Yogi Babu is filled by Vinodhini Vaidyanathan playing the role of a Junior lawyer.  The court scenes are hilarious.

The biggest strength of the movie is the script. Manikandan has touched upon many social issues surrounding middle-men. Not just the travel agent he also portrays a house broker who has left the job of a policeman in order to earn more money. Apart from this, he has also touched upon the issues of bachelor’s not getting a house, Srilankan Tamil’s,  loopholes in the court proceedings and so on.

High Points: The script, Yogi Babu’s comedy, Vijay Sethupathi, Rithika and Yogi Babu’s characterization, the social message to avoid middle-men.

Low Points: There are portions in between where the story gets a little bit dull but it picks up quickly.

Overall this comes as a complete package that will make you laugh and also think. A movie that you would enjoy watching with your family.

Worth a Watch

Action, Drama, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Uncategorized, Wait for DVD/TV

Rekka Review

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Rekka Review – Rekka is a Tamil action drama released in 2016.  Shiva helps in kidnapping a girl from her wedding against her wish. The groom happens to be a fearsome don and he awaits an opportunity to avenge Shiva.

Rekka is an out and out masala movie with some mindless action scene. If you are in a mood for watching a mindless action movie then Rekka will not disappoint you. But if you are going to the theater to watch a Vijay Sethupathi movie you might get a bit disappointed.

The movie has resemblances of action blockbuster Ghilli in many parts. They even show Ghilli scene playing on TV. This one just assumes unlimited power for the hero. There might be hundreds of men flocking together but not able to lay their hands on the hero when he elopes with the girl.  He just seems to be invincible. When he has such a power one has to wonder why he got into the trouble (as shown in the movie) in the first place. If you are able to forgive such mindless sequences there is a lot to enjoy in the movie.

High Points: Vijay Sethupathi’s presence, Masala elements for entertainment have set in well.

Low Points: But for the hero all other characters are too shallow, mindless action sequences.

Overall this is a perfect script for Vishal but starring Vijay Sethupathi. If you are in a mood for a mindless action movie then Rekka would not disappoint you, if not you can watch this when aired on TV.

Wait for DVD/TV

Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Suspense, Tamil Movies, Thriller

Kuttrame Thandanai Review

Kuttrame Thandanai Review – Kuttrame Thandanai is a Tamil psycho thriller released in 2016. A man suffering from tunnel vision discovers he would lose his sight over time. He happens to be a witness of a possible suspect in the murder of a girl in his neighborhood.

This is the second movie of director M. Manikandan after the critically acclaimed Kakka Muttai. This is a new genre and apparently this happens to be the movie he had committed before Kakka Muttai. This is a different genre, yet revolves around the desperation of an individual. In this case the desperation of getting his sight back.

There are no songs in the movie which is a welcome change amidst of the commercial frenzy films. In  thrillers, the success and engagement depend on how well the final climax is hidden from the audience. Unfortunately, I was able to predict it much earlier. Nevertheless, the movie was engaging throughout and fortunately the climax was not about solving the mystery which made it more interesting.

The visuals and the backdrop of the apartment have been done well and suit the tone of the movie.  Vidharth has performed his role very well as he had done in Aal.  Usually to reflect the inner conscious screenplay writers employ the same character image talking to him however in this the character of Nasser is brilliantly planted in the script which does the job for the director.

High Points: Song free thriller, Visuals, Characterization, Vidharth’s performance. The short run time of the movie.

Low Points: Part of the end had been predictable at least for me. Few folks may not like the climax.

Overall movies like Kuttrame Thandanai pushes the standard of story telling and movie making to a new level and continues to prove it is not just about high bankrolling projects and popular star cast alone. This is a must watch for the love of movies.

Must Watch

Action, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Thriller, Wait for DVD/TV

Iru Mugan Review

Iru Mugan Review – Iru Mugan is a Tamil action thriller released in 2016. Akhilan is a former RAW agent who has lost his wife Meera during one of the undercover operation to nail down a terrorist known by name Love. Years later when an old man attacks the Indian Embassy in Malaysia, Akhilan had to be called back to investigate as the tattoo on the old man’s neck indicates that Love might be alive.

Director Anand Shankar comes up with another thriller after his first outing with Vikram Prabhu in Arima Nambi. This time, he has Vikram playing the protagonist. Vikram has scope to exhibit his acting skills playing both the angel and the devil of the script. In particular, he has played the role of Love very well. If you are a fan of Vikram then you have a lot to cheer about this movie.  The only other notable performance is from Thambi Ramiah as some of his dialogues are rib tickler.  Apart from Vikram’s acting performance, there is much less to look forward in the movie.

The movie claims to be of the Sci-Fi genre and still uses sequences like people laughing uncontrollably when inhaling Nitrous Oxide is a mockery. Malaysian police take the brunt which usually is borne by the Tamil Nadu police of making the dumbest moves. It is high time Tamil films move out of such tactics and build something that is much more comprehensible.

Nayantara and Nithya Menen are not just eye candy and have a much larger role to play. But again their characters lack depth. The way Nithya Menen discover clues appear amateurish.

High Points: Vikram’s performance as Love,  Thambi Ramiah’s comedy

Low Points: Very superfluous screenplay, use of  some illogical stuff like the laughing gas sequence in a film that claims to be in Sci-Fi genre, the sequence of Peter’s factory

Overall Iru Mugan doesn’t make you bored nor does it sweep you off your feet.  If you are able to forget and forgive the lack of depth in the screenplay you would like this. You can watch this when played on TV.

Wait for DVD/TV

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

Kabali Review

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Kabali Review – Kabali is a Tamil gangster drama released in 2016. Kabali a gangster leading the Tamil group in Malaysia is released from prison after 25 years due to a crime scene where he lost his pregnant wife. As he sets to seek revenge on his enemies he learns his wife might be still alive.

Probably this Rajnikanth movie had a much greater hype than any of his previous movies. I decided not to watch it on the first day for multiple reasons, one with so much of overhype I wasn’t sure if I could write a balanced review. The other reason was Ranjith and Rajini had mentioned this would not be a usual Rajini movie and the most recent posters depicting Rajini in an emotional avatar I did not want to miss out the intensity lost when I watch it as an ardent fan of Thalaivar.

As expected the movie is definitely apart from standard Rajini movies. Still they couldn’t do away with some of the scenes that happen to be typical template of a Rajini starrer. The first 20 minutes of the movie gives what the audience need at the same time helps in moving the plot forward. Rajini’s costume, the style of his walk, the swag has come out very well and there is plenty to cheer about. As the movie progresses the plot gets grim and eventually turns into an emotional drama till getting back to the Gangster life. I enjoyed the gangster part of the flick for many reasons. I felt there was a deep influence of Scarface and it could become a cult classic. I did not like the emotional journey of Kabali and felt it was added just as a filler and did not move the story forward infact the emotional journey made his purpose of revenge more weaker. If you have watched the movie you would understand.

Kudos to Ranjith and team for pulling out a movie which had more chance for Rajini as an actor.  Radhika Apte, Dhansika, Dinesh, Kishore have supported well.

High Points: Rajini’s acting, his Swag, intense drama in the screenplay, Background Score, Flashback portions, Malaysian culture has been depicted well.

Low Points: The emotional Journey of Kabali did not help the plot much, Songs could have been better.

Overall Kabali is charismatic to hold you to your seats and keep you intense till the end. The minor plot holes could be easily forgotten when seeing the entire package. Ghost of Baasha would always haunt Rajini and his directors and we can’t do much about it. Only way to break this is to create movies like Kabali and Endhiran to bring out the actor in Rajinikanth. Go and watch in the theaters.

Worth a Watch

Comedy, Genre, Horror, Rating, Reviews, Short Films, Tamil Movies, Worth a Watch

Bhoo Short Film Review

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Bhoo Short Film – Boo is a Tamil Short film released in 2015. The central plot of the movie deals with the fear of a young man Kathir regarding the presence of Ghost.

The short film Bhoo deals with the Horror comedy genre. The movie starts with an unfortunate death of four people.  Meet the hero Kathir who suffers from Phasmophobia. There has been a lot of time taken to establish the character of Kathir through a series of incidents. The team has also put together a song sequence which introduces the protagonist. The song combined with the list of establishing shots makes the introduction a bit lengthier. However once, the story reaches the main plot about few friends ending up in the house haunted by the ghost it gets back on track. This portion of the movie is done well with the limited resources the team has had.

High Points: For me the entire sequence in the house involving the ghost has been the most interesting part of the movie. This combined with a twist, in the end, makes it an interesting watch. Having a music video for a short film is yet another high.

Low Points: The Team has tried their best to bring a good movie with limited resources. The only low point is the length of the movie which could have been shorter.

Overall Bhoo is a good attempt at the horror comedy genre. The end with a twist definitely makes it a good watch. But for the length of the movie Bhoo has a lot to offer for its audience. Kudos to director Ajith and team. Best wishes for their next venture.

Worth a Watch

You can watch the full short film here

The team also went the professional way of promoting the movie with a promo song combined with an audio launch at Spathagiri hall in Coimbatore.  The team organized a ticketed show at RR Grand auditorium on September 27, 2015 which was a well-participated event. These are good signs for the upcoming short film market.

Post the short film release the team has also released the making video which is funny and at the same time highlights some of the challenges the team has gone through in making the movie.

 

Comedy, Drama, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Wait for DVD/TV

Muthina Kathirikai Review

Muthina Kathirikai Review – Muthina Kathirikai is a Tamil comedy film released in 2016. Muthupandi is a 40-year-old bachelor who is aspiring to make it big in politics. He falls in love with a 25-year-old girl. His political rivals plan to spoil both his politics and love interest.

This is an official remake of Malayalam movie Vellimoonga. I loved the Malayalam movie for the humor element it had. Having Sundar C reprising the role of Biju Menon the movie looked interesting as we know Sundar C for comedy timings. However, the expectations fell short as I heard the title of the movie as Muthina Kathirikai. I felt that the makers have missed the core strength of the movie which is more about politics rather than the problem of a 40-year-old man finding a bride. Even the teasers emphasized on the romance portion than the politics. The Malayalam movie had a very apt title Vellimoonga (white owl) which represented the white kathar dress the protagonist wears and nails the theme as political drama in the heart of the audience.

If the audience goes into the movie expecting a romantic comedy they wouldn’t find one. This becomes the biggest weak point of Muthina Kathirikai. The part I liked in the Tamil movie is a sincere attempt to remake the original. However when the movie deviates from it and focusses on the romance portion it completely looks out of place. Also, I felt the cast of VTV Ganesh and his brother could have been done with different actors. They have definitely played their part well but having their names established as good comedians they don’t appear a big threat for Sundar C who could beat him.

High Points: The political drama part has come out well. Sundar C definitely feels comfortable in his zone of comedy. The comedy is definitely enjoyable in many places.

Low Points: Cliched Romance portions, Casting of the opposition leaders, The title and teaser of the movie could have emphasized on the political aspect of the movie.

Overall Muthina Kathirikai is unable to make a delicious dish, however, the dish is also not bad to discard if made at home. You could wait to watch this when played on TV.

Wait for DVD/TV