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Tamil Movie Reviews

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Yaan Review

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Yaan Review – is a Tamil action thriller released in 2014. Chandru is happily unemployed and enjoys life. When he meets Sreela he immediately falls in love with her, but is forced to find a job if he has to marry her. The job Chandru takes puts him into a life threatening situation. Will he be able to come out of the situation and marry Sreela is the plot of Yaan.

Well Yaan has good casting, brilliant cinematography, great stunts, decent plot but the thread that connects all these together in the form of screenplay and characterization is missing. It takes more than half the movie for the audience to figure out what the conflict is. And still at the end of the movie I was left wondering if it was love or drug trafficking.  The climax is absolutely ridiculous. Cinematographer turned director Ravi K. Chandran has a lot potential to make some visually stunning movies. If he partners with some good screen writers he would be able to make very good movies. Some of the visual sequences you would love in the movie are the initial fight sequence, the way the hero recreates his encounter with the heroine, the song sequences and the stunt choreography.

Overall if you are seeing sequences from Yaan in isolation it looks good but when put together in a product it would make you yawn. If you are a fan of stunning visuals and stunts watch this at home or else you would not miss much.

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Jeeva Review

Jeeva Review – is a Tamil sports drama released in 2014. Jeeva is a talented cricket player and aspires to play for India. But community based politics prevent him from getting selected for the national team.

Director Suseenthiran comes up with a sports movie after his much acclaimed Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu. In between he had focused more on action and romance genre in between and his previous outing Pandianadu was a smashing hit. Jeeva is an emotional journey of an upcoming cricketer with amount of things he has to sacrifice in life and the difficulty to get a break due to highly political nature of the selection committee. In the era where people are watching a lot of cricket and many cricket tournaments run with empty stands due to too many matches to be played; it is very difficult to make a movie on cricket and keep the audience interested. Suseenthiran has tried to break this by bringing in the romance angle to the plot. This works well in the first half but makes the script slow during the second half. The length of the movie could have been trimmed to 90 minutes to make it more engaging. Overall Suseenthiran has come up with yet another neat film. It may not be as good as Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu but deals with one of the less spoken community based politics in Tamil Nadu cricket board. The movie deserves a watch for the plot. But due to the slowness of the script you might enjoy watching this at home.

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Madras

Madras – is a Tamil political action drama released in 2014. Maari and Kannan are rival political party leaders. Kannan’s party has a big painting of Kannan’s father and his political party on a wall in the middle of Maari’s locality. In the pretext of bad omen no one is daring to change the wall painting. Anbu the dedicated party worker of Maari’s party along with his friend Kaali is waiting for an occasion to change the wall painting.

Right from the first shot I enjoyed everything about this movie. After some really bad outings for Karthi, Madras is a very welcome change. After Attakathi, Director Pa. Ranjith has created a very engaging commercial drama. The movie doesn’t go much outside of the North Madras housing board for its entire length but for a few shots. The first half of the movie is just brilliant. If you have lived in a housing board this would bring back some nostalgic memories. The director has dealt with most of the walks of a lower middle class life like the small houses, getting water from common pipe, lack of space for intimacy between couples, young men proposing to girls, football ground, dance groups and many more. One of the most striking things is how the characters are built. At the end they all have a part to play in the story. There are so many of them yet they all have their unique tone and voice. The use of wall as a metaphor to drive the social message of current state of power and politics is brilliant. The screenplay is engaging throughout. It just slacks down a bit in the middle of the second half but soon gets back on track. Santhosh Narayanan’s background score is apt for the drama. Madras is a welcome change in the times where all leading heroes’ movies are not doing so well. If you like political drama and gang fights go and watch Madras for sure.

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Burma

Burma – is a Tamil thriller released in 2014. Paramanandam alias Burma is a skilled car thief. He works for a financier to seize cars whose due amounts are not settled. While doing one of the car seizing he crosses line with a criminal gang and he has to save the car, his girlfriend and himself.

The movie has a very interesting plot of car theft which is not usually handled as a central plot for a movie. Director Dharanidharan should be lauded for the effort put in here. Believing in a script and making it into a movie is not an easy effort for a new comer. But due to sufficient lack of scale for the project the production quality of the movie suffers to a great extent. Atul Kulkarni and Sampath Raj’s role is not as it is depicted in the trailer, in the movie they have very minimal role to play. The background score is very disconnected which makes the movie disengaging in many places. Overall the movie definitely has some substance in it. If you are willing to see this as a first timer’s effort you would enjoy this movie for the interesting plot it has.

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Sigaram Thodu

Sigaram Thodu – is a Tamil action thriller released in 2014. Murali fakes his interest in becoming a police officer just to keep his father happy. When his father is attacked brutally by robbers he has to step up to take the police duty to bring the dark forces to light.

Vikram Prabhu is becoming synonymous with action thriller. After his debut movie Kumki he has done back to back action thriller movies Ivan Veramathiri and Arima Nambi. Sigaram Thodu joins the list. Vikram Prabhu’s physique is well suited for action thrillers. However this one does not create the impact like his previous outings. Director Gaurav has just managed to push the bar a little higher than many of the crime dramas you would see on television. The story itself is very small and does not deserve the length it has. One of the weakest points in the story is the villain. The significance of a hero’s purpose is directly proportional to the gruesomeness of the villains. The villains look very weak in front of Vikram Prabhu’s character and it looks like a easy cake walk for him to get them defeated. The element of suspense is broken much earlier in the movie and fails to hold you onto the seat.

Overall this one is an average action drama which can be watched at home for its few engaging parts.

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Amara Kaaviyam

Amara Kaaviyam – is a Tamil romance drama released in 2014. A high school student Sathya meets his classmate Karthiga and conveys that his friend Balaji is in love with her, but Karthiga tells him that she is in love with Sathya and not Balaji. They fall in love with each other but when their families come to know about this they try to keep them away from each other.

There was an era in the early 80’s in Tamil Cinema when there were movies based on teenage love story. Movies like Alaigal Oivathillai, Paneer Pushpangal, Kilinjalgal became block buster hit. Director Jeeva Shankar has tried to reproduce the magic of that era in Amara Kaaviyam. He had used the 80’s period to convey the movie as well. The first half of the movie seemed like modern version of Paneer Pushpangal for me. However the second half turns into an emotional melodrama ultimately leading to the climax which is much different from those movies. The first half of the movie is very engaging but the second half falters a bit with a sudden shift in the behavior of the lead character. I felt like his role having shades of the lead protagonist from the director’s previous outing Naan.

The new comer Sathya has acted well in parts of the movie. The credit goes to the director. Jeeva Shankar’s cinematography and Ghibran’s music are great plus for the movie. Each shot is like a painting on a canvas. The pace of the movie is a big drawback for the movie. As the movie is headed to its climax you would be able to predict what is going to happen next. A little bit of increased pace in the screenplay and maintaining the suspense a bit tighter would have made this one a very compelling watch.

If you had liked the teen love stories like the ones I had mentioned before then you might enjoy watching this or else you would be waiting for the movie to get over.

Watchable – for all those who love 80’s movies based on love at adolescence

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Irukku Aana Illai

Irukku Aana Illai – is a Tamil comedy thriller released in 2014. Venkat is a loser in life and nothing works for him until he meets with an accident and the girl who dies in the accident stays with him as a ghost.

Certain movies do not get the relevant recognition and audience as they may not have very popular cast and not marketed appropriately. Irukku Aana Illai is one such movie. The plot is very different from the normal comedy genre you would see. Debutante director Saravanan also has handled the script well for a new comer. This movie would not blow you off but definitely has the ingredients to engage well. There are obvious flaws in the movie like the predictable script and lack of continuity in couple of places. However the movie is engaging and keeps up your interest, when it travels with the lead characters. The song although pleasant to hear slows down the pace. Overall you would not regret watching this one and might pleasantly surprise you if you have no expectations. You can definitely watch this at home.

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Velaiyilla Pattathari

Velaiyilla Pattathari (VIP) – is a Tamil drama released in 2014. A civil engineering graduate is jobless for 4 years since graduation waiting for a civil engineering job rather than taking up any other job that is available.

VIP is touted to be the 25th movie for Dhanush and they have taken the safest route of making a run of the mill entertainer. Mostly we brush off run of the mill entertainer but it still takes a lot of effort to get it right. Cinematographer turned director Velraj has created a decent entertainer for Dhanush fans. The first half of the movie would appeal to a larger audience but the second half is only for the fans of Dhanush. Overall VIP wouldn’t bore you and you can watch it on TV or DVD

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

Anjaan

Anjaan – is a Tamil action drama released in 2014. A Mumbai gangster seeks out revenge against a rival for the murder of his close friend.

By now many of you have read reviews about Anjaan. I had a very low expectation when I went to watch it. The core plot of the movie has some substance for it to become a blockbuster. A gangster’s revenge saga would heavily depend upon screenplay and build-up of characters but the movie totally failed in this department. There is a 20 minute block in the middle of the script which you might find engaging but the rest is so disconnected and far from the plot that it spoils the entire product. Director Lingusamy should start working with new screenwriters for fresh thoughts. He is still sticking to sequences like introducing an innocent guy and later reveals he is a violent guy when he starts bashing up all villains closing the gate. The whole unit seemed to have banked on the charismatic presence of Suriya and never bothered to shape up any other character including the supposedly treacherous villain Manoj Bajpayee who barely gets 3 sequences in the entire movie, he doesn’t look treacherous at all. Samantha who is not significant for the movie plot gets more screen time than Vidyut Jamwal and Manoj Bajpayee. The dialogues writing department has run out of creative ideas and the dialogues in the first half reminded me of those dubbed Hindi soap serials running on TV. Suriya has performed well as Raju Bhai, he looks stylish but as Krishna he is not even half convincing.

Overall this would be a movie Suriya and Lingusamy would have to forget and move on.

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Kathai Thiraikathai Vasanam Iyakkam

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Kathai Thiraikathai Vasanam Iyakkam – is a Tamil film released in 2014.  Director R.Parthiepan said it is a film without a story. How will a film without a story be what the story would deal with? He also said it is a tribute to 100 years of Indian Cinema. Well the movie is about a team of aspiring film makers trying to search for that convincing story to make their first film. Through their journey the director has conveyed how difficult it is to make a movie that is entertaining for the audience.  Making a film is not always as it is perceived by people; it is really a tough job. Years and months of hard work can be trashed by audience in minutes. A magic is only as good till the audience can guess the trick… a film is only as good till the audience can predict the flow. Finally they do realize they can create script from their everyday experiences but the final question is will a producer agree for it? How long they can run behind their aspirations with family commitments each of them have.

The first half of the movie is about the nuances of script writing and also through their discussion covers some of the amazing gems in old Tamil Cinema which has concepts and outlook that none of the modern day movies have. Due to some of the amateur actors and lack of dramatic elements of the story you would feel disconnected in the first half but the second half is very engaging. Through this R.Parthiepan has tried to experiment multiple things; he has tried to narrate a story to the audience that can be made into a film, he also broken all the grammatical rules of script writing but still the end product has come out decently.

This is not for those who search for a standard story and plot in the movie but for those who appreciate the magic of cinema in whatever form it might be. This one deserves a watch for the sincere attempt and for the love of cinema.

Thanks to all those who has the perseverance of creating good cinema and midst of so many difficulties devote their life to entertain the audience – a true tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema.

Watchable – for the love of cinema

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Athithi

Athithi – is a Tamil suspense thriller released in 2014.  Madhiazhagan, Vasuki and their kid lead a very happy life. One day they give lift to an unknown person in their car and things take an unusual turn. They learn their daughter is being held hostage and they are held hostage in their car and are forced to do things the stranger demands.

The movie is mostly engaging in parts and the plot promises to be an edge of the seat thriller. The premise for the whole story is a very promising one and when the story reaches its main premise you would find this to be a very engaging movie and would demand your attention. However the situations leading to the main plot is not buildup well. Due to this what could have been a very engaging movie falls short. The buildup of characters is disconnected to the main plot. There have been deliberate attempts to distract the audience from finding out the motive. In the end as it is not related they seem to be out of place for the story. During the abduction episode in many places the real panic, fear and hurry is not seen with the characters which is not a natural reaction. The scene in which Nanda has to leave a suitcase in the bus stand within 20 minutes, the whole sequence is very relaxed and does not thrill. The comedy portion and songs in the movie is a wholesome distraction to the genre of the movie. Director Bharhathan has tried to stuff in messages against the economic differences in the society which is not needed. The movie needed a bold ending to create an impact but ends up with an average ending.

Overall this one is definitely engaging in parts and can be watched at home if you have nothing else to watch.

Wait for DVD/TV – for a promising premise

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

Sathuranga Vettai

Sathuranga Vettai – is a Tamil black comedy heist movie released in 2014. It is based on a true story about a person who finds easy way to make money by cheating people. He is a by product of the economical imbalance in the society.

The movie is definitely very engaging as the script does not deviate from the main plot of the movie. It is based on the true incidents that had happened in India. The character of the protagonist Natarajan Subramaniam has been built well. The film has the tone of movies like Naan Avan Illai which is again based on fraud. There some dialogues which are very good and apt for the script. Beyond the main character the buildup for other characters seems to be a letdown for the movie. Apart from this the movie will definitely engage you and also remind you of how someone could easily make a fool out of a common man. You would have a feeling of reading a host of Junior Vikatan articles on con.

Overall this one is definitely watchable on TV or DVD and you would enjoy it.

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