KAAVALAN MOVIE REVIEW

After facing numerous problems and hurdles, Vijay finally managed to release his eagerly awaited Kaavalan at one of his most crucial moments in his career. He's facing a crisis with back to back super flops considering that he's a super star. He has teamed up with Siddique after the super success of Friends and remaking a Malayalam film which was originally written keeping Vijay in mind. To be honest, Vijay must be thanked for giving a clean movie with no ridiculous stunts, over the top heroism, lame punch dialogues, crass villains but delivering a cool, sweet and cute movie which shows that Vijay is just not a star but also an actor.

Watching Vijay performing in mellow and cute love scenes is a big relief for the normal audience considering all the rubbish he threw out for the past few years. This movie is a throw back to the 90's era where Vijay was popular at the time for being a ladies man with soft and cute mannerisms. It's seriously nice to see him enact emotional scenes with aplomb and at the same time holding the audiences' attention with his screen presence. His transformation as a stiff and strict bodyguard with a touch of humor to the soft and love-struck guy was smooth and touching. The scene in the park where he was about to meet his 'lover' was truly touching and sweet where he portrayed the emotions of tense and calmness at the same time was a truly subtle acting from him. It shows the years of experience he has in the film industry. Added to that his dressing sense was pretty good in this film with most of his costumes looked contemporary and neat which presented him as a smart looking guy. Not to forget his emotional acting in the climax and as well his famous comedy timing, Vijay gave a very good performance as an actor this time. Asin is back after a small gap and she just sleep walked through her role. It took a few moments for her to deliver her histrionics as an actress of substance although in certain scenes she looked bad with the make up and the chemistry between she and Vijay is missing this time. Vadivelu was a riot in certain scenes especially with his 1 liners like "Private Number/Parvathy Nambiar" and the "Paavam Avare Confuse Aayittaru" dialogues being the best and the best scene would be the one where he gets bashed up in the womens hostel and how he complaints it to the others was an absolute laughter. Other than tat comedy scenes were pretty lame. Other cast members did their role as it was needed.

Technically the film doesn't deliver anything big. Stunts by Siva complemented well with Vijay's fighting style and it wasn't over the top. NK Ekhambaram's camera was just nice with the last fight scene being the highlight of his work. Vidyasagar gave a couple of hummable tunes like Step It Up and the Yaaradhu songs but should have done better with the BGM as it was too melodramatic at times. Song picturizations were not impressive though except for the starting part of the Pattam Puchi song involving the graphic works.. Siddique should have tweaked the first half of the film as until the interval, the movie doesn't show of anything promising and where it is heading to. Although the ending was touchy and sweet it could have been changed to something more realistic as it would have been more poignant.

Overall, Kaavalan is a decent film from Vijay after a very long time and it was just nice to see him do some real acting and deviating from his usual masala action movies. A cute, sweet film with a touching end is what Kaavalan is all about. It's not a great film but the same time not a bad one either. Only disappointment is the decision of Vijay opting out of 3 Idiots remake which would have helped him sustain the good momentum given by Kaavalan on his path to redemption. Hope more directors approach Vijay with simple and realistic scripts to help him show his histrionics as an actor.

Rating: 2.5/5 STARS

BY: TAMIL

AADUKALAM MOVIE REVIEW

One of the most eagerly expected movies of the year. After the big success of Polladhavan, the Dhanush-Vetrimaaran duo is back once again with this rooster-fight based film and what a show it was!! Vetrimaran has surely cemented his place as one of the finest contemporary directors of Tamizh cinema and thank GOD, Polladhavan's success was not a fluke. Making a rural based film is not new to Tamizh cinema, considering the fact that after the success of Paruthi Veeran and Subrmaniapuram, more Madurai based films have come out with it's share dose of violence and bloodshed. But what makes Aadukalam stand out is the different backdrop it's based on and the realistic portrayals of the human beings involved in such backdrop, in this case the playing field of rooster-fights. Definitely this is an international class film which makes us to be proud of.

One man which makes this movie so commendable is the lead hero Dhanush. What a performance from this guy who proved all the naysayers that he's a hero with substance and for breaking the stereotypical mould of a hero. This is certainly one of Dhanush's best performance after Kadhal Kondein and Pudhupettai. Vettrimaran has done a fantastic job of extracting the best from Dhanush after Selvaraghavan and Balu Mahendra. Every single movement, emotion and dialogue delivery of Dhanush is so life like that we must say that he has lived as Karuppu. No matter which scenes they are, from the joy he showed hearing the heroine loves him, the disappointment he faces learning the bitter truth, the loyalty he shows towards his mentor, the emotional scenes after the death of his mother and the determination of keeping his rooster still in the match, Dhanush has simply lived the role and his performance was mind blowing with the fluent accent of Madurai, delivered flawlessly. Certainly he's on the list next year for the best actor's awards nominations list. Literatuer Jayabalan as Pettaikaaran was a revelation with stunning body language and emotions conveyed through his eyes and not to forget the almost perfect dubbing of Radha Ravi for him.. Simply marvelous. Kishore once again was a powerhouse and the dubbing for him done by Samuthirakani was apt with the slang but it would have been much better if Kishore spoke in his own voice which would have been more impactful. New gal Tapsee carried the role of and Anglo Indian quite well but she still has a lot of catching up to do. All the small roles done by junior artistes were real and life like.

Technically the film is top notch with Velraj's cinematography being the important backbone of the film. All the small details of the ring side of rooster fight, the small and dingy houses and the shots of the roosters was awesome. The night effect shots was beautiful as well with minimal lights giving the surreal feel. The color tone used for the film is well matched with the theme of the movie. GV Prakash once again struck big time with his songs especially Yathe Yathe and Aiyaiyo Nenju being the highlights. The BGM adds weightage to the films quality. Art direction was perfect with every minute details drawn out from the ring side, the farm houses, the bar sets and also the Anglo Indian houses. Stunts by Rajasekhar was realistic with the last fight scene being the best of all the fight scenes in the film. All credits should go to Vetrimaaran the director for doing intense research and presenting the audience a totally different world of rooster fighting with sheer quality in presentation. The only drawback in the script is the slow second half where the screenplay takes time to unravel the reasons behind the riveting climax.

Final verdict, Aadukalam is just a touch of class and hope Vetrimaaran continues to present us with different themed films in the future with more quality in mind. A big thumbs up to him for making Tamizh cinema proud..

Rating: 4/5 STARS

BY: TAMIL

SIRUTHAI MOVIE REVIEW

Karthi has come out with his latest release after back to back hits and for the first time has done double roles in this film which is quite an achievement considering the fact that he's just few films old. He has chosen to do a remake from a hit Telugu film which is the practise of the current breed of actors. It is a very difficult task of remaking that particular film as Ravi Teja has a unique body language which can be hard to imitate. We'll see how Karthi has handled the roles..

First and foremost, this film is the most mass masala film Karthi had done. It may not go down well with the upper class people but for the masses it's pure delight. The story has a good scope of producing a gripping and tight screenplay but then the director choose to remake scene by scene and even there's a disclaimer in the beginning of the movie which claims that keeping the benefit of the viewers in mind every character speaks Tamil although most of the scenes happen in Andhra Pradesh. Although it balances the aspect of heavy Telugu flavor, it still doesn't connect with the nativity of Tamil audiences.. Anyhow, this movie delivers all the necessary ingredients of a mass movie.. Heroism filled lead character(s), glamorous heroine, emotional fight scenes, sentiments and a big gang of henchmen who as usual gets bashed up single handedly by the hero. It's the old lame style of 70's and 80's mode of story telling but what makes it watchable is the performance of Karthi but then it's filled with crude and crass dialogues which makes women feel sick and disgusted..

As for Karthi's fans, this movie is a real treat for them.. He's just simply good with his acting histrionics.. As the pickpocket Rocket Raja, he maximises the usage of comedy timing to near perfection and he gelled well with Santhanam. As a tricky, smart, pervert and notorious pickpocket he was rocking. The comedy scenes of him barging into the wedding house with Santhanam and also runnin away with the possesions of Mayilsamy was the highlights. As Rathnavel Pandian, the police officer, he was ferocious and determined and showed the characters of a Siruthai by not giving up till the end. His introduction fight scene in the villain's house was powerful and it really showed how much he has put into effor to get the body language and modulation of voices correctly. But then the scene which shows the entry of Rocket Raja as Rathnavel Pandian was just too hilarious and Karthi proved he's an accomplished actor in the scene where he breaks down hearing the kid's cry of sending her to back to the dead mom..Tamannah was just needed for the glamour quotient and so far this is her most revealing role. Made many boys' hearts go sigh.. Santhanam made use of his scenes quite well with funny 1 liners as Kattupuchi..

Technically there's nothing much to say as all departments worked appropriately. The art director did well with the deco's of Rocket Raja's house (the AVM globe was a touch of class) and the villain's house. Velraj's camera was adequate and the fight scenes in the rain was well captured. Vidyasagar is a big letdown as all the songs sounds similar and gives out a cliched sense to the viewers. Stunts were over the top except for Karthi's intro fight scene in the villain's house. On the whole this movie is just pure commercial and we must thank Karthi for marketing it properly with the tagline 70% comedy and 30% action which really tells the true nature of the movie. Watch it if you don't mind mindless masala and if you are a Karthi fan..

Rating: 2.5/5 STARS

BY: TAMIL

Best of 2010....

BEST OF 2010

The list below are the movies which I feel deserves to be called the best in 2010 for either being a quality product, fulfilling the expectations, creating a new genre, exceeding expectations and for raking the money in the box office.

AAYIRATHIL ORUVAN
A long awaited film from Selvaraghavan. Created a few ripples in the film industry with the introduction of a totally new genre in tamizh cinema, fantasy adventure. Kudos to Selva fro exploring a totally new genre unattempted by anyone else. All the hardwork is evident through the detailing showcased in the film, from costumes to settings. Ramji did a fantastic job with the camera and it must have been days and nights of hardwork for both he and Selva to make multiple research on anciet Tamizh civilization and to bring it to the silver screen. Karthi, Reema Sen and Parthiban gave good performances.. GV.Prakash's music was an additional strength for the film with the songs and BGM being a big hit. But the movie has plenty of questionable loopholes in the storyline/screenplay, and Selva should have polished the script much better. It was a letdown from him but still a daring attempt. Deserve an appreciation but with negative remarks..

ANGADI THERU
Another classic film in Tamizh cinema history. An emotional-driven film by Vasantha Balan who has the tendecy to make films based on human emotions and struggles. The script was solid and it really captured the hearts of viewers after they were shown the dreadful life lived by the salesman/saleswoman behind the counters of posh malls in Chennai. What really made the movie pull it off was the blending of a beautiful love story of the lead pair in the miserable living condition faced by them and the bitter or we should say cold-blooded nature of fate and yet the movie teaches us of the message "Whatever happens, life has to move on".. The lead pair did a fantastic act especially Anjali. She deserves a award for this film. GV.Prakash and Vijay Anthony's music was a big hit with lovely melodies and Richard M.Nathan's camera coming in handy. Too bad Angadi Theru lost out to Peepli Live in the last hurdle as being India's official entry for the Oscars.

BOSS @ BASKARAN
Rajesh's second innings as a director was a hit as well. What made the movie click was the light hearted manner in which the screenplay was presented and it was even more light in subject compared to Rajesh's previous Siva Manasula Sakthi.. Arya, Nayanthara and Santhanam was at their best in comic timing and Santhanam really rocked the show with the catch phrase NANBEN DA!! Arya has improved his dialogue delivery and dressing sense plus Nayanthara gave out a decent performance. Sakthi Saravanan's cool camera views of Kumbakonam and Yuvan's songs was another highlight of the film especially the song Yaaru Endru becoming a big hit. Although the story line was wafer thin, Rajesh's comedic script won the hearts of viewers and proved that not movies with heavy duty themes can score big. Hopefully Rajesh continues the good work further..

EESAN
Sasikumar's second film was a dark and riveting film filled with violence especially in the climax. Although it's not in the leagu of Subramaniapuram, Eesan is a very good film showcasing the present ethical issues involving spoilt brats of the super rich and powerful people in the society. The film was tedious in the first half and should have been trimmed as the film was sailing nowhere and audiences had to wait till the second half to commence to realise the real theme the director wanted to convey on the screen. Kathir's camera was as always a great complement to the film but James Vasanth let down this time except for Jilla Vittu song and luckily he did pretty well in the BGM section. All the actors gave out commending performances especially Samuthirakani and AL Azhagappan who were too life like. Kudos to Sasikumar for highlighting the social problems occuring among the current society and for sharing the anger I have..

ENDHIRAN
The massive blockbuster of the year!! Shankar gave out another milestone film in Indian cinema when it came to the technical aspects. The costliest film made so far in Indian cinema, the film justified all the expenses procurred with the graphics, make up, set designing, costumes designing, animatronic techniques and etc. Sabu Cyril came out with wonderful sets in the songs and the labs and futuristic palace. Rathnavelu deserves an award for bringing out the correct look for the film and to share the dream of Shankar. Srinivas deserves all the accolades for managing and coordinating with the Hollywood special effects studio and bringing the maximum output from the allowed budget. Manish Malhotra showed Rajni even younger with his costumes and Bhanu deserves a big appreaciation for the make up. AR Rahman, as always delivered his best for Rajni and all the songs have been huge hits and the song picturizations were brilliant as well, although it's not on par if you compare to Shankar's previous films.. Finally the Man Rajni.. At age 60, he still wows the crowd with his style and grace and the powerful dialogue delivery of Chitti version 2.0... Although, as and actor Rajni is still sorely missed, this has been something different from him after so many years..

IRUMBU KOTTAI MURATTU SINGAM
Chimbudevan makes a decent film and he deserves a pat for bringing back the cowboy themed films back to Tamizh cinema. Besides him, the other 2 people who deserves a big appreciation is the art director and the costume designer of the film. Without their sheer hardwork it would have been difficult for Chimbudevan to bring out an Indian cowboy film. All the actors were dressed perfectly and the sets were just too good in details. GV Prakash was a big letdown as this film has no attractive songs at all. The cast did a pretty decent job especially the big cast of comedic actors such as Vaiyapuri, Mouli, Manorama, Delhi Ganesh, Ilavarasu and etc although Lawrence was not good enough as an actor for me. Script should have been a little better as some portions of the film tend to be slow and boring but Chimbudevan was brilliant in penning the dialogues and for inserting spoofs or parody of real life situation into a fantasy film. Hats off to him for that smart touch.

KALAVAANI
A cult hit film from newcomer Sargunam. Another light hearted film which showcased the easy going yet naughty and troublesome lifestyle lived by youths in villages. Vimal and Oviya gave out decent performances but Ilavarasu and Saranya was class. Ganja Karuppu was rocking in this film with his superb comedy timing especially in the climax where he tries in vain to stop the protagonist.. Truly hilarious!! SS Kumaran's music was another highlight as the Chinna Chinna song being popular. Om Prakash's camera was refreshing and captured th beauty of Tanjore's outskirts. A pleasant film which really made the film viewers light at heart. Has officially become a cult hit and gave a fresh whiff of air to the cinema industry.

MADRAASAPATTINAM
AL Vijay's next film after the low key Poi Solla Porom was a beautiful film of inter-racial love on a different canvas, that is on independence struggle. The whole unit must have worked tremendously hard on this project. Nirav Shah's camera was just top class with the right tone and GV Prakash's music was a big hit among the viewers especially the song Pookal Pookum.. Besides them the art director and the costume designers worked extremely hard in this film for bringing out the lifestyle and surroundings of Madrasapattinam during the independence era. All the small details from sets, props, costumes were top notch.. Stunts were well choregraphed especially the wrestling scenes. Arya gave out one of his best performance but the real surprise packet was Amy Jackson. For a person who is not familiar with cinema at all in the first place and to come to Tamizh cinema and give out a commendable acting was no easy task. She deserves all the accolades.. AL Vijay proved that he can come up with his own script and it was even better than his 2 previous remakes..

MYNAA
After Kokki, Lee and the debacle Laadam, Prabu Solomon came with this heart wrenching film. It was a big surprise to the viewes as Prabhu this time delivered a solid film showcasing a tender and beautiful love relationship of the two lead characters. It was a brave attempt to shoot in dense jungle and at the same time deliver a pretty good film. Amala Paul was a true revelation and she's sure to lap up the roles coming to her now. A beautiful portrayal from her. Besides her Vidharth the hero was also good in his role of a ruffian but has a soft heart for his sweetheart. Thambi Ramaiah was outstanding as the comic cop but also delivered emotional scenes pretty well. The sceneries in the film was cool and fresh as it was filled with lush green forests and hill stations. D.Imman's music was melodious and the songs slowly catched up with the audiences.. Prabhu Solomon left a deep impact on some viewers who could not accept the brutal ending leaving a lump in out throats..

NAAN MAHAAN ALLA
Suseendran proves he's no 1 film wonder after his debut Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu. This film was a decent entertainer in the first half and a dark, disturbing and violent film in the second half. His script was solid and there were no loopholes in it. A commendable job by his for bringing out a film based on true incidents. Karthi is enjoying his success ride as he once again proved he's no lame actor with good comedy timing in the first part and showing anguish and anger of losing his father in the second part. Kajal Aggarwal has not much to do although she was cute in her role. Yuvan once again proved to be a lucky charm to Karthi especially with Iragai Pole becoming a big hit. Madhi's camera was apt with the right color tone and angles and the stunts were well choreographed with not illogical moves. Good to see Suseendran coming out with different themed films.

NANDHALALA
Mysskin's long awaited film. This time it's a road movie on the journey of two 'kids' in search of their respective mothers. It's a remake of the Japanese film Kikujiro but Mysskin has put in the correct sentiments and did the necessary changes to suit the nativity of tamil nadu. His script is a bit slow and certain scenes did not justify the emotions showed out in those particular scenes but still it was a very nice movie especially with the absence of dialogues and the takeover of Raja sir's music was absolutely remarkable. Raja sir once again proved that he's the maestro when it comes to soul stirring music and background score. Without him this movie would have been a big letdown for the viewers. Although the music was one of the important aspect of this film, the silence showed in certain portions really elevates the beauty of the film. Mysskin did a good job as an actor and the kid artist Aswath Ram was adequate as well. Mahesh's camera captured the beauty of the green natures of Tamil Nadu. Kudos to him for bringing a decent art film.

PAIYAA
Linguswamy was back after the big flop of Bheema. This time he didn't disappoint with this new genre of road movie. It had all the ingredients of a commercial film with a good hero in Karthi, a beautiful heroine in Tamannah, great songs of Yuvan especially Yen Kadhal Solla and the classic Thuli Thuli, and cool stunts from Kanal Kannan. Script from Linguswamy was racy and moved speedily althought the story line is wafer thin. The chemistry between the lead pair was great and Karthi just proved that he's an actor with great comedy timing and a will to perform well in fight scenes. The BGM was great from Yuvan as well, and Anthony's editing was a great help for Linguswamy's script. Linguswamy once again delivered a commercial hit which was stylish and casual and packed with Lingu's style.

RAAVANAN
A highly anticipated film which has the best of the best talents in Indian cinema packed into 1 film. Mani Ratnam's long in the making Raavanan was a big letdown for his fans as it's not even close in the league of his previous classic films. The script of the film did not suit the nativity of Tamizh people and it was not strong or lacked the magic of Mani. What made up for the lack of a good script was the power house acting of the cast and the world class cinematography by Manigandan and Santhosh Sivan. Visuals of the film is just too good to be true and kudos to the crew for taking the massive effort of shooting in dense forests. Acting wise, Vikram was a maniac in his role of Veera (though he was cool as the villain in the Hindi version). Aishwarya Rai gave one of her best performance although the dubbing of Rohini was not really convincing. Prithviraj was a letdown as his method of acting was not really top notch. AR Rahman once again gave his best works to Mani although it's not one of their best yet Usure Pogudgey is a classic and the BGM was great. Dialogues was a letdown but the movie portrayed deep inner feelings and emotions of mankind in certain situations. Not the best from Mani, yet a different film for Tamizh cinema

RATHA CHARITHIRAM
Ram Gopal Varma made a violent film based on true incidents although some of the storyline has been changed from the actual fact. The movie is meant only for the action and violent based film lovers as it has loads of killings and bloodshed !! The movie is quite slow and can be testing for the viewers as it looks like more of a violent documentary of a political episode rathern then a film. Certain scenes do stand out especially the court scenes and the fight in the jail scene. Stunts are superb and natural. Camera work is tight and apt for the film although the rotating view was unnecessary. Ram Gopal Varma should have discarded the idea of using songs as BGM and instead only use pure music as background score. Suriya was absolutely rocking in the film with such a powerful performance from him. His eyes delivered all the agony and hatred of his charactes towards Vivek Oberoi. Once again Suriya has proved that he's an actor of substance. The rest was apt for their roles like Vivek Oberoi, Priyamani and etc. Not a great film but deserves a place in this list for being different and showcasing true incidents.

SINGAM
Tamizh cinema's top notch commercial mass masala director Hari scored big time as he delivered a racy story with all the necessary ingredients checked.. A dynamic hero in Suriya, a good looking and glamorous actress in Anushka, peppy songs by Devi Sri Prasad, funny action oriented comedy scenes by Vivek and a jet speed storyline. It was a pucca masala entertainer for the fans of mass masala films. Hari got the storyline perfect and Suriya was just charismatic in the role of the cop with masculinity and heroism intact. A big cast of character artistes typical of Hari films were present in this film as well..Although Vivek's comedy was funny but it was more of adult oriented jokes. The script by Hari was fast and furious especially in the second half.. Suriya once again scored a hit film and cemented his reputation as a successful actor..

TAMIZH PADAM
The most innovative and outrageous film of the year!! CS Amudhan daringly made a spoof film for the first time in Tamizh cinema. Although spoofs were quite common these days but there was no film made entirely on a spoof concept. The movie made parody of all the regular cliches and hero's of Tamizh cinema and yet it had a story to tell.. Siva as the protagonist was the most apt person to do this film and the ultimate mockery must be the Oh Maha Zeeya song.. That was truly a touch of class.. Nirav's camera was an additional strength to the film as all the frames were refreshing to see. It was wonderful to see such an attempt made into a film and was a success as well.. Waiting for Amudhan's next move..

VA-QUARTER CUTTING
Another different attempt from the Pushkar-Gayathri duo.. Although there was no seriousness in the film compared to their previous Oram Po, this movie was innovative in terms of script and the making. It had the typical Hollywood style of comedy parodies but then the movie was too long and it can test the patience of the audience.. The movie was made in upper-class style and presentation but the story and target was the mass film-lovers. Nirav's camera work was laudable as the use of green color tone throughout gave the right color and feel to the film. GV Prakash's music was average though with only the Unnai Kan Theduthe song being a rocker.. Siva and SPB Charan was a good pair and had weird yet funny face reactions which elevates the comedy quotient of the film. Lekha Washington though has to improve her comedy timing. John Vijay as the father and son act was awesome and funny but then some of his jokes was crass and lewd.. A different attempt but should have been much better.

VINNAITHAANDI VARUVAAYAA
Gautham Menon proved once again that after Mani Ratnam, he's the man to make good love movies. The storyline is thin but the screenplay was engaging and can be related to real life situations. The movie is made for upper class city people as it's filled with English dialogues aplenty and no cliche Tamizh cinema sentimental dialogues. The story was a candy floss yet in the end showed the harsh reality of real life and how modern day couples end their love journey. Simbhu and Trisha obviously gave out their best acting in their career so far. It was nice to see Silambarasan minus all the style and punch dialogues and lewd jokes normally found in his films.. Trisha was looking stunning in Nalini's costumes especially in sarees and she gave a convincing performance which further helped by Chinmayee's perfect dubbing. AR Rahman found succes once again with Hosanna and Mannipaaya songs becoming big hits and his BGM totally different and subtle. The look and presentation of the film was just right with the white and blue tone maintained through out by Manoj Paramahamsa. Anthony's editing was just perfect and Rajeevan's art direction was simple yet elegant. This movie can be boring for some because it focuses entirely on the lead pair only but then for a romance genre that's gonna be the main criteria of the film.


Other noticeable films:

AVAL PEYAR TAMIZHARASI (Pluses: Jai and Nandagi's performance, Vijay Anthony's music, Meera Kathiravan's different setting of the story line)
BAANA KAATHADI (Pluses: Adharva and Samantha's good debut, Yuvan's songs)
BALE PAANDIYA (Pluses: Siddharth's unique way of story telling and production, Devan Ekambaram's music, Vishnu and Pia's performance)
GOA (Pluses: Yuvan's music, Vibrant young cast)
KATRADHU KALAVU (Pluses: Good storyline, realistic stunt scenes)
MANMADHAN AMBU (Pluses: Kamal's dialogues and poem, Kamal and the rest of the cast, Devi Sri Prasad's music)
PORKKALAM (Pluses: Bandi Sarojkumar's different approach to story telling, camera angles and color tone, Kishore's acting and sound mixing)
UTTHAMA PUTHIRAN (Pluses: Family entertainer, Genelia's cute looks, Vivek's comedy and Vijay Anthony's songs)

VAMSAM (Pluses: Pandiraj's story based on village culture, Arulnidhi and Sunaina's performance, stunts)

BY: TAMIL

Nandhalala Movie Review

Director Mysskin is back after his last critically-hit film Anjaathey. This movie was in the cans for a long time due to lack of interest from Ayngaran to release it and not finding a suitable period. Nandhalala has not changed the style of Mysskin although the genre is different this time. The basic story is simple but then as his previous films ie Chithirem Pesuthadi and Anjaathey, Mysskin has maintained a good screenplay to hold the attention of the viewers. Although it's only a remake of the Japanese film Kikujiro, Mysskin deserves appreciation for coming out with a heat warming film and most importantly to give Raja sir the chance to score outstanding compositions.

Basically the movie is a road trip of 2 'kids' in search of their respective mothers. One to show his love towards his mom, and the other to loathe her existence. The movie works in parts as at times it is slow and at times melancholy and touching. It takes a lot of guts for a director to base his movie on only 2 characters for a major portion of the film and for that aspect, bravo to Mysskin. Not only that he did the role of a 'kid' himself and did a splendid performance especially in the climax. Aswath Ram, the other kid did a commendable job as well as the boy who longs for the affection of his mother. Both of them had a good chemistry between them although their characters are poles apart. Along their journey they come across different characters and each of them were from various walks of life. It was interesting to see different sets of people which actually gives the film a beautiful look. Snigdha as the commercial sex worker was apt for her role and Nasser and Rohini came in cameos.

Camera by Mahesh Muthuswamy was beautiful considering that there's no set and extravagance involved here. All the lush and greenery scenery of the towns and villages and the rustic lifestyle was wonderfully captured on the camera. Plus the still shots used and the movement of the camera following the character in certain scenes and the low angle shots are testimony to the brilliance of Mahesh. Another important 'character' in the film is the music of Raja sir. It is very obvious from the first frame of the film that his music is going to be the major backbone of the film. His music is just too good to listen to and we must be thankful to Mysskin for giving this script to Raja sir. Only he can bring out the soul-stirring and melodious music, regardless whether it's the songs especially the 'Mella Oornthu Oornthu' number or the BGM. Raja sir is the KING!!

What makes Nandhalala viewable for cinema lovers, is the silence maintained mostly in the duration of the film and dialogues are just used when it is needed the most. At times the silence of the film is what really makes us sit and watch while Raja sir fills the scene with his brilliant compositions. It gives us the feeling of watching a piece of art unfolding in front of our eyes in a motion picture format. Plus Mysskin never fails to bring in the emotional quotient which is was well brought out by the actors. All the emotions shown by the actors are very genuine and life-like. One has to watch the movie to feel the beauty of emotions and music blending together beautifully.. Among the scenes, the part Mysskin confronts the road bullies and smashing the beer bottle is really hilarious and also the scenes involving the policemen.

Nandhalala is a different film from Mysskin and it beautifully portrayed human emotions be it love, anger, disappointment, agony, frustration and etc on the screen. The 2 characters in the film started their journeys with a certain intention in their mind but the harsh reality they ended up encountering changed their life and teaches them to accept life as it is. Nandhalala is more of an art film compared to being called commercial cinema and Mysskin must be lauded for bringing a different film filled with emotions and music.

Rating: 3/4(stars)

BY: TAMIL

Eesan Movie Review..

After the trend-setting/ path breaking smash hit Subramaniapuram, Sasikumar is back once again with his second innings as a director.. I was eagerly waiting for this flick because Sasikumar made name as a producer in Pasanga and as an actor in Naadodigal in between. He scored a hat-trick, sort of.. But I really wanted to see the director Sasikumar to really see the quality of his work, whether Subramaniapuram was a one time wonder or not. Eesan, a city-based flick contrary to Subramaniapuram, is a well-made dark film which is very hard hitting.. Although, it's not on the levels of Sasikumar's earlier film, it's still a very riveting and well made movie..

What really caught my attention was that, there's no typical hero or heroines involved and all the characters in the movies had a role to play in the story. Coming to performances, each and every one of them deserves a pat on their shoulder for brilliant performances but the special kudos to Samuthirakani and AL Azhagappan for their outstanding acting. Samuthirakani as ACP Sangaiah played his cop role wif conviction and determination and the angst he portrayed when his hands are tied by political connections were class.. Surprise packet is AL Azhagappan who did the role of a corrupted politician who's willing to do anything for the sake of his beloved son and at the same time be cold blooded, was really brilliant and almost life like. All the others like Vaibhav, Blessy, Aparna, Abhinaya, Namo Narayanan and the guy who did the title character were very good.. When it came to performances every scored in their respective scenes. Vaibhav as a party animal, Blessy as the father of Abhinaya, Namo Narayanan as the right hand of Azhagappan and Abhinaya as the mute gal portrayed good emoting skills and kudos to Sasikumar for bringing out the best from each of them.

Camera by Kathir was apt for the film especially the movement of the camera in important scenes and the tight angles complemented the grim and dark look of the film. Kathir has proved that he's the man to handle this type of stories in the cinematography department. James Vasanthan was a letdown here except for the Jilla Vittu song and the bit-song played when Vaibhav eyes his gal. Kannil Anbai was not bad either and James did good work on the BGM especially in the flashback and the climax scenes. Art direction was fine especially when it came to depicting the posh houses of the rich kids and the clubs. Editor should have done a better job by trimming the film as that was the setback for the film because if at all it was shorter it would have been a taut and tight film.

Coming to the captain of the film, Sasikumar, he should have made the first half shorter and more direct towards his main theme. Why I am mentioning this is that, until interval we're not sure where the movie is heading into or what the director really intends to show us, as the first half has shows the life of the spoilt rich brats and some political chess game played by the bigwigs of the society. Only after the interval, Sasikumar made the screenplay more racier we were able to grasp the theme of the film and finally he nailed us with a stunning and intense climax filled with violence. Im not sure whether all the violence shown was necessary but it can be justified with all the emotions running in the minds of the characters strewn together in the end. Besides that Sasikumar's 'kusumbu' and subtle mannerisms instilled in the characters, which blended into the film flawlessly, shows the directing skills of Sasikumar.

Sasikumar deserves appreciation for bringing another quality film and for outlining an important message to the society. The film would have been more riveting if it was shortened but then after watching Eesan, I am officially a fan of the Sasikumar, the director. Thanks Sasikumar for sharing the same angst which I have inside me..

Rating: 3/4 (stars)

BY: TAMIL

Tamil Movies of 2010

Here i have compiled some of my movie watching experience of 2010:

1. Sura

I quit watching Vijay movies since Thirupachi. No, not even in DVDs..but what brought me to Sura? It was pure peer pressure. My kainges forced me to watch this movie, since we had nothing better to do on that day. Went in with not even a minimum expectation..most of d time i was talking to my the guy on my right and left..went for a small walk...waited for the movie to finish. Went back. The most terukest movie of the year IMO..

2. Singgam

I am not a fan of Hari movies. But in a way had to watch this movie since peer pressure. Nothing much..You must be really jobless to watch this movie..i was on holidays. Some of my friends watched this movie 3 times and so.. NO komens..

3. Vinnai Thandi Varuvaya.

Wow.Gautham. Gautham makes wonderful movies. Esp, love movies. We all know that, dont we?? Then how come VTV was screwed up. Judging from a technical point of view..It was a good piece of work..But films is all about story-telling. Gautham failed in that part. You see, making love movies is aint that easy..many failed before. VTV was a very boring kinda experience, bt was worth the watch due to technical apects..Some liked it still..some loved it..i Hated it..


4. Va Quarter Cutting.

Surely one of the most cekapest movie of 2010. A very new genre for Tamil Cinema. We went for a show. Show canceled. No audience. Great dissapointment. We went the next day, there were few audience, most of them who didnt get tickets for Utham Puthiran and Endhiran. Yes Endhiran,.. There were only about 10 of us in the hall. Me and my friend, were laughing till the movie ended. Shiva is a piece of talented actor. Brilliant Direction. We were the only one laughing till at one point i taught this scenes were not supposed to be laughed. Great. Worth every cents.

5. Endhiran.

No comments. I am a die hard fan of Rajnikanth. And i am disappointed. Thats it.

6. Boss Engira Baskaran.

One hell of a funny movie. Semma lepak movie type. Watched it with kainges, laughed to the max. Of course many aspects can be debated on this movie, but whats the point. Its pure creativity. Once Suhasini Mani mentioned that, the last scene where actor Jeeva's cameo comes is an insult to the cinema medium. I beg to differ, cinema is creativity absolutely..Of course it depends, on the platform of creativity Captain can fly too.

7. Tamizh Padam

Oh yeah, how can you not mention it. Shiva as i said, is funny. The movie is a spoof of tamil movies, which most of us have been waiting all this while. The scene where Shiva goes to his village and stand by a statue of Ramarajan with still stains of milk...Classic la bro.. If you havent watched it, please do watch it.

8. Goa

I think its time too V.P to introduce new elements into his films. His Chennai 28, i consider one of the best movie made on the premise of friendship. Still expecting that kind of magic from VP. Goa was nice, but full of cliches which were created by VP himself. Watching with friends, maybe u can have a few laughs, but there is nothing much to be cherished on this film. An average film.

9. Ayirathil Oruvan

I have always considered Selva as one the most cekapest director in Tamil. In recent times the emergence of many young directors, which i would personally label, Tamil New Wave, is a challenge for Selva. Selva remain steady. Its hard to review this movie due to : 1) Censored or cut by cinema owners, i dont know. 2) Tamil used(my fault)

Personally, i love this movie due to its genre and the subject handled within then genre. Adventure and History of Ancient Tamil Kingdoms. I have read Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki, and i have always wanted someone to make a movie out of it. The nearest was Dasavatharam, and AO. There are many question mark left unanswered in this movie. But a very bold and great attempt, i dont care it flopped or broke the records...Its splendid.


Do post your Movies experiences as well..

- Vega

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