A very interesting attempt, 'David' is the first "direct" Tamizh film of Bejoy Nambiar, the former assistant to Mani Ratnam and the director of the critically acclaimed Hindi flick, 'Shaitan'. Shot in Hindi and Tamizh, 'David' is an intriguing tale, depicting two characters of different backdrop, era, and characteristics but connected by one single element, which is the name of David and a message attached to the name. Multi-narratives are a rare breed in Tamizh cinema, and kudos to Bejoy, for attempting to make one. The Hindi-version has an additional storyline, making it as three protagonists, but Bejoy plays safe with two in Tamizh. With two powerhouse performers in Dr. 'Chiyaan' Vikram and Jiiva, did Bejoy nail it ?
Starting with Dr.'Chiyaan' Vikram, this film must have been a welcome relief for him, as he has enjoyed doing the role of a bride-punching, liquor-guzzling (that too through a funnel !), notorious, fisherman. He was endearing and charming in his portrayal throughout his episode and his relationship with Tabu was wonderfully written and picturized. An excellent performance from 'Chiyaan' after a very long time. Jiiva on the other hand, was the exact opposite, with a very serious but energized portrayal. He displays the correct level of intensity and expressions needed for the emotional scenes and proves once again that he is one of the best performers in Tamizh cinema, among the younger breed of leading heroes. The other best role in the film was of Tabu's and what nonchalant, and matured performance from her ! She simply sizzles as 'Frenny', the friend cum adviser of Vikram. Deepa Venkat's dubbing was okay for her but still it takes out the originality of the character. Isha Sharvani, was angelic and sweet as the deaf and mute girl and was very apt for the role of 'Roma'. Lara Dutta comes out with a neat and composed performance and got her pronunciation right for the lip-sync. Saurabh Shukla is a scream in his role, whereas Nassar was as good as always as the devout Christian priest. The rest of the cast such as Rohini Hattangadi, John Vijay, Nishan, Prahlad Kakkar, Shweta Pandit, Sheetal Menon, Sunder Ramu, Manish Jha, Sathish Kaushik, Rubi Chakravarti and etc all were very apt and performed realistically in the film. A big cast, but wonderful performances from all. Bejoy should be lauded for the characterization of all the roles, enacted in the film, which were well written.
One will look forward to a Bejoy Nambiar film for the technical finesse, and Bejoy does not disappoint us. All technicians involved in this project are some of the best in the industry, and Bejoy has used their capabilities to good use. Ameira Punvani and Falguni Thakore's costume designing was very apt for each era and characters involved in the dual-story lines of the film. The look for both Jiiva and Vikram was perfect. Stunts were very well choreographed by Javed Aejaz and what makes the stunt sequences authentic, is that the fights for each lead protagonists imbibed the characteristics of the protagonists, be it the drunk Vikram or the angry Jiiva. Well done, Javed ! Rajeevan's production design was very natural and authentic. The props for each setting, be it Mumbai or Goa, were very much original and his presentation made it look believable. Sreekar Prasad's sharp editing kept the pace of the film bearable and nearly avoided being too languorous. Ranganat Ravi's sound designing was also spot on, with the necessary minute sounds, well implemented in the film. The film definitely belongs to the two very talented cinematographers, R.Rathnavelu and P.S Vinod. The former's picturization was very exotic and pleasing to the eyes, with perfect lighting and the appropriate 'sunny' tone of the Goan episode. Whereas, the latter's Mumbai shots were gloomy, dark and gritty in nature. The fight sequence was fantastically shot, with brilliant lighting and color tone used for it. Both cinematographers showed their expertise in their respective episodes, and it was indeed a very smart and creative move by Bejoy to employ different cinematographers each episodes.
One of the highlights of the film is the soundtrack and the eclectic-mix of the artistes involved, gives different shades to the whole album. Nonetheless, the soundtrack is a trend-setter and warrants repeated listening, for one to appreciate the music. But sadly, the songs were just used sparingly in the film and is woven into the flow of the screenplay, which cut shorts the length of a song ! "Vaazhkaiye" by the Bramfatura duo, is the opening song and also serves as the theme music of the film. It was picturized in , covering the climax sequences of both story-lines. "Maria Pitache", composed by Remo Fernandes, was shot on Dr.'Chiyaan' Vikram brawling with fellow drunkards, in a set resembling a Goan hut cum bar setting. "Machi" by Modern Mafia, is a montage song, shot in a first-person perspective technique, on Jiiva's daily routine as a guitarist. "Theerathu Poga Poga" is a lovely song composed by Maatibaani, shot on Vikram, Nishan and Isha having fun together. R.Rathnavelu's lighting and camera movement was good for this song. "Iravinil Ulavavaa" is a catchy song composed by Prashant Pillai, which was shot beautifully on Vikram and Isha, in a "boatride-under-the-moonlight" scenario. "Manamey" is a thumping song, full of percussion beats, composed by Prashant Pillai featuring Tao Issaro. As mentioned earlier, P.S Vinod's cinematography was brilliant in this song which was shot on Jiiva taking on a bunch of guys. The rain effect was put to good use, with minimal lighting and apt color tone. "Kanave Kanave" by Anirudh Ravichander is a beautiful, soothing melody used in both story-lines and was placed appropriately in the screenplay, but was used minimally, sadly. The "Light House" track by Remo Fernandes was used throughout the Goan episode as a background score and not to forget, Mikey McCleary's background score, especially for the Mumbai episode was brilliant.
First things first. Bejoy Nambiar is a director of substance and it is evident in his narration and directing skills. He somehow magically makes an ordinary scene to look extraordinary, powerful and gripping with his narrative skill. The Vikram-Tabu sequences were handled with high-level of composure and maturity and is a delight to watch for its casual treatment ! There is a deep and philosophical message, underlying in the script, which is revealed, post the inner-battle of the lead protagonists and the screenplay by Bejoy Nambiar and Natasha Sahgal was not bad. But what spoils the film, is the heavy-dubbed feel we get, while watching it. A majority of the artistes involved in the Hindi version is retained for the Tamizh version and the dubbing was awful in most of the scenes. The poor dubbing spoils the originality of the film. The dialogues by Manikandan.G and Venkat Subbaraj was of no help as well, as it lacks the depth in creativity and sounds plain simple. Though the film looks fine if you go scene-by-scene, the overall story-telling was a letdown, as there's not much connectivity between the two story-lines and each track had a different mood and pace to it, which might test the patience of viewers. Also, its unforgivable for a director of Bejoy's class to make silly mistakes in detailing. One glaring mistake is the scene where Nishan sings the "Pondaatti" song from the film 'Osthe' at Isha. Mind you, the film came out in 2011 but the timeline of the Goan episode was 2010 ! Such silly mistakes must be avoided as it further spoils the interest of the viewers.
'David' is a unique and interesting attempt from Bejoy, which has excellent technicians who delivered superb outputs in the film, especially the cinematography and music department. But disappointingly, it did not really live up to the expectations it generated prior to the release. A film which could and should have been much better, as it promised a lot, but served pretty less than what was promised.
Ratings: 3/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
It has been a very long wait and big hype with continuous controversies (during the period this review was written), Dr.Kamal Haasan's 'Viswaroopam' saw the light of the day (in certain places, only). Touted as 'Ulaga Nayagan's' most ambitious project, with an huge budget invested for the production of this film, 'Viswaroopam' is the next-level commercial entertainer, and that too from the stable of the classy Dr.Kamal Haasan. Aided by expert technicians sourced from around the world, Dr.Kamal has delivered a top-notch film, technical wise and still proves to the world that, he is indeed the man who will be the pioneer in elevating Tamizh cinema to the next level, all the time.
Coming to the performance quotient of the artistes, Dr.Kamal Haasan needs no review to justify his class and perfection in enacting the roles he undertakes. As the effeminate Kathak dancer, Dr.Kamal Haasan was marvelous with his body language and facial expressions, thanks to his dancing background. His dancing skill needs no introduction, and he executes the Kathak dance movements with complete ease and grace. The transformation from the dancer to an action hero was fantastically portrayed and Dr.Kamal looks totally convincing as an action hero as well, at the very ripe age of 58. He proves again and again that he is the 'Ulaga Nayagan' indeed. Rahul Bose, plays an equally important role as the antagonist of the film, and has nearly as much time space as the protagonist. His body language and composure in playing the role of a terrorist leader, was super good and proves that he is one of the best performers in Indian cinema. Pooja Kumar makes a good debut in Tamizh cinema, and looks confident on screen. Abhirami's dubbing work was in sync with Pooja's look and suits the character well. Jaideep Ahlawat, made use of his opportunity quite well. The rest of the cast such as renown director Shekhar Kapur, Andrea Jeremiah, Nassar, Samrat Chakrabarti, Zarina Wahab, Miles Anderson, James Babson were appropriate for their roles but had very little time space in the film. Some of the dubbing work for a few artistes among this list, looked awkward and fake, due to the unfamiliarity with the Tamizh language.
When it comes to the technical front, 'Viswaroopam' is one of the best films made in Tamizh cinema. Every department worked their socks off for this film, and the output is visible on the silver screen. The sound department under the supervision of Anand Krishnamoorthi and Kunal Rajan must be applauded for the extensive and detailed work in the film. The script demands such stunning sound recording and with the Auro 3D effect put to use, the audio effects were brilliant. Gautami Tadimalla's costume designing was very apt for the diversely different scenarios and locations used in the film. Kudos to her, especially for the Afghan episodes. Madhu Sudhanan's VFX supervision was good but it could have been better if more budget was allocated for the visual effects department. Ralis Khan and Gage Hubbard's make-up effects for Kamal Haasan and Rahul Bose and Nassar was top notch. Their make-up gave the characters, realistic and authentic look. The stunt choreography was stunningly done in the film and was handled by experts from various backgrounds and country. The scope is very extensive since it covers war-prone backdrop. Also, Dr. Kamal's solo fight sequence in the warehouse was explosive ! A treat for Dr.Kamal's fans !! Fantastic work by Kecha Khamphakdee of Jaika Stunt team from Thailand, Lee Whittaker, Parvez Feroz and T.Ramesh !! Another important work is of the art department's because thhe film must look authentic in order to be convincing and Dr.Kamal's choice of the apt technicians, was a good decision indeed. Lalgudi N.Ilayaraja and Vietnamese Boontawee 'Tor' Taweepasas handled the production and art department, extremely well. The Afghan war-torn and cave-filled landscape was brought out authentically in Chennai studios. A huge sum of money was invested for the art department, and each penny was put to good use. The props such as guns, machinery, bombs and explosives, everything looked original and believable. Boontawee and Ilayaraja should take a bow, together !! Mahesh Narayanan could have handled the editing department better, especially in the second half. The transition from past to present and vice versa was not smooth and the plenty of cut-shots in the end was sloppy and abrupt. But still, his work in the action sequences, was fantastic. This film would not have been possible, without the huge contribution and dedication of cinematographer Sanu John Varughese. His framing and camera movements for the battle scenes were terrific and he has handled the color tone of each episodes very well. The thrilling car chase scene was well shot, but it could have been even better. Also, his time-slicing/time-freezing technique was executed well. Anyway's 'Viswaroopam' will definitely be a milestone in Sanu John Varughese's career. Well done !!
Music by the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio was adequate. The title track, "Vishwaroopam" was used during Dr.Kamal's first introductory action scene, and it fits in terrifically well for the situation. "Thuppakki Engal" is a lighthearted song picturized in montages, showing the assimilation of Dr.Kamal's character into the Al-Qaeda network and their activities and journeys done and encountered daily. "Anu Vidhaitha" is an emotional song showing the power of destruction and war on the people who resides in the isolated, hilly regions of Afghanistan. "Unnai Kaanadhu" was picturized beautifully on Dr.Kamal's fabulous Kathak dancing skills, which was beautifully choreographed by Pandit Birju Maharaj. The song was shot on Dr.Kamal and his pupils and has the theme of Radha yearning for Krishna's love. The remix version of the title track appears towards the end credits. The background music was very apt, but it lacked the power and arresting-nature, which the movie demands.
Dr.Kamal's film has a global and important message underlying throughout the film. The film is peppered with highly intelligent dialogues, which some of them carrying concealed messages. The screenplay was structured in a non-linear manner, but it lacks a powerful and gripping narration. The action is there to watch, but the intensity was missing. The open-ended climax surprised many, but deters a few from true satisfaction, because of many unanswered questions and gaps left, which could be explored in the sequel. Dr.Kamal's intention has been to merely entertain the audience and he has succeeded in it. But hardcore fans of his might feel disappointed and unsatiated with the film, which leaves them craving for more, in order to come to a conclusion, of being satisfied or not. Many characters have very little space and time in the film, leaving the majority of the film focusing primarily on Dr.Kamal, Rahul and Jaideep's characters. Also, the dubbing work for some of the characters was a out of place. The direction by Dr.Kamal was good. Though the film is not on par with Dr.Kamal's previous directorials such as 'Hey Ram' and 'Virumaandi', it is worth watching for the effort of Dr.Kamal in making intelligent commercial entertainers
'Viswaroopam' - the standards of commercial cinema has been raised once again by Dr.Kamal. An engaging watch for regular cinema-goers. Part 2 is definitely essential for a thoroughly, complete satisfactory feel for the die-hard fans of Dr.Kamal.
Ratings: 3.5/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
Vishal is back with another action film, which is directed by Thiru, who has collaborated with him in the dampener, 'Theeradha Vilaiyaattu Pillai'. For Vishal, this is a very critical film, because he has been treading the wrong path where a slew of his previous releases, all were failures. In order to survive, this must click for him. With an interesting star cast, and picturized in Thailand for most duration of the film, 'Samar' intrigued viewers with its slick trailer, which did not give out any particular hints. So how did the movie fare ?
For Vishal, this movie is a throwback to his 'Sandaikozhi' and 'Thimiru' days were he underplayed his role, with controlled performance. He has put his strong and built physique to good use in the action scenes. The no-nonsense and introvert characterization was carried out well by Vishal and it is enjoyable for us to watch him perform in this manner. Well done, Vishal ! Trisha, does her part well and was confident in her dialogue delivery and for dubbing in her own voice. She looks good and was at ease throughout the film. Sunaina barely had anything to do other than to act in a couple of scenes and to dance for a song, though her character was needed. Critically acclaimed performers Manoj Bajpai and J.D Chakravarthy fall way short of in delivering strong and outstanding performances, though they are very much capable of delivering it. Blame the director, for the poorly sketched characters of Manoj and J.D. The rest of the cast such as Jayaprakash, Sampath, Sriman, Azhagam Perumal, John Vijay, Uma Padhmanabhan and others are adequate.
Vasugi Bhaskar's costume designing was very apt for each characters, where the costumes reflected the personality of each characters. Sound designing by Renganaath Ravee was good, especially in the stunt sequences. Jacki's art work was adequate, considering that the majority of the film was captured in real life locations and his work blends in well with the surroundings. Ruben's editing is just nice, especially for the stunt scenes, which is the trump card of the film. Stunt choreography is the highlight of the film. Each stunt scenes were solidly choreographed and most importantly, was very natural and realistic. It is a delight to watch such pumping action scenes, neatly executed in Tamizh cinema. Kudos to the stunt choreographers, Kanal Kannan, Rajashekar, Jimmy from Singapore and also to Nang of the Baan Rig team from Thailand. Great work by them ! Complementing the stunt sequences, is Richard M.Nathan's stunning cinematography (who also makes a small cameo appearance in the film). He has used plenty of aerial shots in and around Bangkok. His color tone and lighting aptly follows the changes of locations in the film, as the story progresses. Another good job well in his portfolio !
Yuvan Shankar Raja's music is a letdown for this film. His score is average considering the fact, he can deliver chart-busting songs. "Oru Kannil Vegam" is the introductory song of the protagonist and depicts his life as a forest ranger. There are plenty of pleasing aerial shots by Richard in this song and captures the beauty of the forest in different lights. "Azhago Azhagu" is the pick of the lot from the album. It was picturized on the three characters of Vishal, Trisha and Sunaina and was shot entirely in and around Putrajaya city of Malaysia with some iconic buildings and landmark being the backdrop. "Poikaal Kudhirai" is an interesting number, which was well placed in the film. There are plenty of cut-shots, which are mostly picturized at night and features many facets of Bangkok and its surroundings. "Vellai Mayil" is a romantic number shot on Vishal and Trisha, with aerial shots along the sea shore and besides that, shot mostly within posh hotel premises. The final song "Raajavin Thottathil" is a hot, club number shot on sexily-clad item girls and features the two antagonists of the film, enjoying themselves. The lighting and camera movements by Richard M.Nathan complements the mood and feel of the song. Background score was handled by Dharan Kumar and he shows is prowess in good sound mixing with apt background music, be it for suspense scenes or for romantic scenes.
Director Thiru has delivered an interesting plot and theme, laced with the right amount of commercial aspects for this film. He has handled the majority of the screenplay quite well, maintaining the suspense, gripping twists and turns and some surprises towards the last 15 minutes of the film. The film keeps us guessing until the last 15 minutes, on what is happening in the film, until the secret is revealed. But once the suspense is unraveled, the film looses its fizz and ends on a rather tepid manner, which makes us to feel that the overall end product could have been better. The director rightfully avoided inserting any comedy scenes into the screenplay. Dialogues by Thiru and S.Ramakrishnan was very much suitable for the script, being straight-forward and not overtly dramatic, except for those uttered by the antagonists. The idea of the script definitely has an inspiration from some Hollywood and Korean films, but Thiru has cleverly adapted the idea to suit the taste and sensibilities of Tamizh audience.
After a long time, we get to see a good movie from Vishal and though it could have been presented in a better manner, it still delivers a decent action thriller, with enough thrills and chases in keeping our attention. Not so great, but not bad, either.
Ratings: 2.75/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
One of the eagerly anticipated films, 'Kanna Laddu Thinna Aasaiyaa' promised loads of fun and humorous moments with Santhanam and most importantly, 'Powerstar' Dr S.Srinivasan making his debut in a properly taken cinema, instead of the poorly executed low-budget films. Armed with nothing but good comedy writers and able technicians, this film is the maiden production venture of Santhanam, who has also roped in veteran Rama Narayanan to co-produce it. It is instead a major coup by Santhanam to rope in 'Powerstar' and certainly looks like a safe bet.
Santhanam, plunges into the lead role after a long time, and though it is his own production, it is commendable of him to give ample space and scope for his fellow 'musketeers' to perform and earn applause. Nevertheless, Santhanam still brings the roof down with his excellent punch lines and humorous antics and facial expressions. The comfort level of acting in his own production, enabled Santhanam to be at ease and he performs to his best. The sequence where he delivers his love letter to the heroine and the aftermath expressions are too hilarious and evokes rip-roaring laughter from the audiences ! However, it is 'Powerstar' Dr.S.Srinivasan, who steals the show with his unpretentious comedic acts. What works for the film is that, 'Powerstar' was allowed to do comedy and he allowed others to make fun of him, which makes the proceedings to have a spoof like-effect. Anyways, it was him who took the most cheers and screams from the fans !! Newcomer Sethu was not bad and debutante Vishakha Singh was expressive and passes the test. The Santhanam-'Powerstar' duo was ably assisted by the rest of the cast such as 'VTV' Ganesh, Kovai Sarala, Sivashankar Master , 'Pattimandram' Raja, Devadharshini and Vanitha Krishna Chandira. The cameo appearances of Gautham Vasudev Menon, Silambarasan, cinematographer Balasubramaniem, and stunt choreographer Silva, adds sheen to the film.
Though it was meant to be a moderately budgeted film, 'Kanna Laddu Thinna Aasaiyaa' carries notable production values. Karishma Shroff's costume designing was very apt and matched perfectly with the settings and characterizations of each artistes. A.Vanaraj's simple set-work for songs were well done and also for filling up the typical Kumbakonam house and other live locations, with appropriate props. Silva's stunt work was adequate and decent enough for a comedy caper like this film. G.Ramarao's editing was smooth and crisp. Balasubramaniem is a big strength to the film. His cinematography adds a glossy and rich look to the film. His lighting for the night scenes, along with good angle choices, adds to the cheerfulness element of the film. Good job, Balu !!
Thaman's music was foot-tapping and almost all songs were decently done. The opening "Aasaiye Alaipole" was shot in live locations with adequate props and good lighting work by cinematographer Balasubramaniem. Balu captured the Kumbakonam streets and township effectively, with his camera. "Ye Unnethaan" is a colorful song, with simple but decent set work by A.Vanaraj and again Balu's cinematography, gave the song a glossy look, especially with the lighting. The "Love Letter" song is a situational song, shot within a typical Kumbakonam mansion house and features Santhanam in his rip-roaring element, together with the heroine, Vishakha Singh. "Potti" song is another situational song, which was funny and kept short. The "Birthday" song was shot within temple locations with plenty of props, which matched the birthday celebration theme. The final "Duet Song" appears during the end credits, showcasing a wedding scenario, which again looked glossy thanks to Balu's lighting. Thaman's background score was adequate and carries his trademark synthesized, violin pieces.
K.S Manikandan's directorial debut makes no mistake in stamping its stance and promise of being a 'laughathon' and fun-filled ride. The writers of the film made no bones about it and delivered their promise to great extent. Though the film carries an uncanny resemblance to K.Bhagyaraj's classic 'Indru Poi Naalai Vaa', the film was made keeping today's youngsters and Santhanam and 'Powestar's presence was effectively used. The natural performances of the acting crew adds to the fun quotient of the film and there are plenty of rip-roaring sequences inserted throughout the duration of the film. Also, the excellently written punch dialogues uttered by Santhanam are a scream and the film is replete with them ! Story wise, there is nothing to expect, but no one really gives a damn about the story and tirelessly waits for the next bone-tickling sequence. The second half of the film hit a slow-pace mode but was compensated with the funny antics of the artistes.
'Kanna Laddu Thinna Aasaiye' delivered what it has promised and not more or less than what was intended to be. A thorough and jolly-good entertainer for the viewers !
Ratings: 2.5/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
As it was in 2011, Karthi starts off 2013 with another "masala" oriented action-comedy which borrows its title from one of Rajinikanth's epic characters list, 'Alex Pandian'. The name reminds us of the class, style, fury and charismatic performance of the one and only 'Superstar'. Suraaj who has been borrowing titles inspired by Rajinikanth lately, has teamed up with Karthi and Santhanam for the first time. A lavish budget from Studio Green, 'Alex Pandian' made no bones about the expectations audience should have on this film, through the teasers and posters. So, is 'Alex Pandian' worth all the budget ?
Karthi, who is armed with a charming and instantly likeable personality, sleep walks through the film. There is nothing much to do in the performance and this film only acts as another medium for him to improve his dancing and stunts performances. Karthi has been showing his inclinations in becoming an all out mass hero, but without a power-packed performance, will he succeed in his mission ? Definitely, no and he has been failing to realize it. The other 'hero' of the film Santhanam, carries the entire first half on his shoulders with his wise-cracking dialogues and funny antics. We have seen him do this plenty of times, and he does it with complete ease. The only difference here, is that he takes the opposing camp of Karthi, instead of playing the usual sidekick buddy. His dialogue delivery and timing are near perfect as usual, but he should control the level of double entendre jokes, since he is such a popular comedian now and kids are taking a liking for him. Anushka, pitiably has nothing much to do other then being the usual damsel-in-distress and dancing for song sequences. The film has a big star cast in Milind Soman, Suman, Prathap Pothen, Visu, Nikita Thukral, Akanksha, Sanusha, Manobala, Renuka, Saravanan, Vaiyapuri, Santhana Bharathi, Rajkapoor and Mahadevan, but sadly all of them have been wasted and appears as mere caricatures and laughable characters. Wonder what made all of them to choose to do this film, apart from the remunerations.
The film carries quite a big budget, but the works of the technical crew has been average. Costumes by Perumal Selvam makes the characters look lively and appealing, especially of Karthi's and Anushka's. The stunt choreography by K. Ganesh Kumar was too bad to be true. Laws of physics and practicality issue takes a severe beating. The opening action block was outrageously choreographed and if it wasn't for the editors, the opening scenes would have been a total mess. M.Prabakaran's art work was just nice. The interiors of Santhanam's town house, Karthi's jungle hideout, the sets for songs, all were neatly done. Praveen K.L and Srikanth N.B's editing work was crisp but sadly the film lacked maturity, which makes it hard to appreciate their work. S.Saravanan's cinematography was not bad and good enough for the script.
Devi Sri Prasad's songs are just below average, with some mass appeal. The first song, "Onnam Class" is a typical mass item song with Karthi dancing along with the three other girls of the film, Nikita, Akanshka and Sanusha. The setwork was good, with colorful blue, read and black themed sets and elaborate lighting. "Thakka Thaiya" was shot in a small town house set, with a joyous ceremony as its backdrop. The typical props such as serial lights, stage, flowers and back up dancers in traditional attires, are all there, with some comedic elements thrown into. "Naalu Pakkam" was well shot with very detailed set work. The tribal, wild western and pirates themed set works were very well done, especially the pirate set. "Rayya Rayya" is a typical "kuthu" song with simple sets erected in a studio, and the lead pair and dancers dressed in colorful costumes. "Bad Boy", which was used as the promotional song and appears during the end credits, was the best shot among all the songs. It has a little touch of class in its editing and the sets erected in the popular Binny Mills. DSP's background score is not worth discussing about, other than being sufficient enough for the film.
Coming back to the earlier asked question, Suraaj's script is not worth the budget spent at all, and it baffles why waste a big amount of money on a poorly written, half-baked script. The film has no cohesive screenplay, justified story telling, unnecessary comedy bits, and low-in-taste action scenes. Also, The plot wanders into no-man's territory in the second half. As mentioned earlier, Suraaj wasted the talents and capabilities of his acting cast. He tries to push the burden of the film on Santhanam for the first half and then shift the second half to Karthi. Suraaj's previous films such as 'Thalainagaram' and 'Marudhamalai' had humorous comedy scenes in them with less action, but here the action quotient is on par with the comedy quotient, and both elements were poorly written and executed.
'Alex Pandian' is an unabashedly, pretentious "masala commercial" which is poor in taste but high on budget. Karthi and Suraaj, what's wrong with you guys ?
Ratings: 1.75/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
'Sattam Oru Iruttarai' finds itself a new coat of paint, through a remake by the grand niece of the original's director. Sneha Britto, a 19-year old grand niece of S.A Chandrasekhar and niece of 'Ilaiyathalapathy' Vijay remakes the cult hit, which was released some 3 decades back. Backed by her parents as the producers and her grandfather as the creative head, Sneha Britto, makes some changes to the script for the suitability towards the current context, factor.
Thaman Kumar, a relative newcomer, replaces the Vijayakanth, and sadly, he is not match for the latter. Thaman is no where near the fiery and spirited performance of Vijayakanth in the original, which cemented his place among Tamizh cinema elite and elevated the film to a cult status. Thaman struggles in nearly every department and he has a hell lot to do, if he wants to stick to acting and surviving in this cut-throat cine-field. Reemma Sen, has a substantial character to play, but there's nothing special to discuss about the performance. It looks like, she felt uninterested half-way through acting in the film. Piaa Bajpai and Bindhu Madhavi has nothing much to offer, other than to be the eye-candies of the film. The rest of the cast such as Radha Ravi, Suresh, Sampath Ram, Krishnamoorthy, 'Erode' Mahesh, 'Tiger Garden' Thanga Durai, Adams and etc has even less substantial roles, and it puzzles the audience, especially on the necessity for a large number of unimportant characters. S.A Chandrasekhar, tries to impress in his late cameo, though.
The technical department's contribution to the film, was just functional. Art direction by A.Vanaraj, was okay, especially with the interiors of the sets, such as houses and police stations. M.R Rejeesh's editing was sloppy, especially in the first half, which had bumpy narration. 'Billa' Jagan's stunt choreography was adequate, especially the climax fight sequence. C.J Rajkumar's cinematography work was passable, with good choices of techniques but nothing noteworthy. Vijay Antony's music was poor and not catchy at all, which is a big disappointment for the audience, especially when the movie is faring badly. "Nimirndhi Nil" was shot with Thaman and Bindhu, performing a stage act, along with dancers on a laser-lit setting. "Adam Eval", also shot on the same pair, was picturized in Bangkok, with those scenic Buddhist monasteries, beaches and parks. "Thirumba Thirumba" and "Uyirin Uyire", both were shot on Thanam and Piaa this time, and had montages sequences, showing the love moments of the couple, going around Hong Kong. The final track, "Poochandi" is a typical folk song, with heavy beats and features the all there lead artistes, Thaman, Piaa and Bindhu dancing along with the back-up dancers in the park, with blandly-colored but skimpy costumes for the heroines. The background score too was too out-dated and boring. Not enough motivation, Vijay ?
The handling of the script was very amateurish. Though S.A Chandrasekhar puts in his effort as the creative head, it was not enough to save this film. Sadly, the original is still miles ahead better in terms of cinematic value !! There's no logic in the screenplay, the direction is poor, the acting is amateurish, the characterizations were awful, and sadly, there's no narration at all. The only scene, which makes us to take a look, is the end, where S.A Chandrasekhar, points out his opinion on the current state of law and order in India. The handling of the police episodes, is a disgrace to the actual officers, where police where made to look like idiots ! The original had the melodrama as its USP, together with good music and performance, but here its all about the glossiness and no conviction from the director. R.Ruban's dialogues too were, not up to the mark, as well.
Its not wrong to be ambitious, but Sneha Britto should not plunge into direction at the expense of her parents' financial support, and the backing of her successful grand father and uncle, in the cinema industry. It will be better for her to learn the nuances of direction first, before deciding to direct a film. Sorry my lady, though truths hurt, a truth is still a truth ! 'Sattam Oru Iruttarai' is poor. Very poor !!
Ratings: 1.5/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
'Neethane En Ponvasantham' a beautifully-titled movie, is one of the most expected films of the year, thanks to the expectations which bounds to arise when the director, Gautham Vasudev Menon comes back to his comfort zone, that is love stories. Added to that, the blockbuster hit of the soundtrack, scored none other than the genius, 'Isaignani' Ilaiyaraaja, elevated the film's expectations several notches higher, since the score was one of the best to come out from Raaja sir's stables. With excellent technicians and gorgeous looking casts, this film had all the necessary elements to score at the box-office.
Jiiva has delivered a refreshing and thumping performance as the cool, casual and handsome chap. His dialogue delivery and body language were so precisely, he embodies the character Varun Krishnan, perfectly. The spontaneous reactions and composed expressions, are the highlights of his character, though he was not entirely convincing as a school-boy, looks and physique, wise. Samantha Ruth Prabhu, was simply gorgeous in the film, and she too delivers a fantastic performance as Nithya Vasudevan. Her transition from a teenage 'angel' to a beautiful woman, looks and mentality/behavior wise, was smoothly handled by her. Its an advantage certainly for Samantha to dub in her own voice, which gives an authentic feel to her character. With more such roles, she could hone her acting skills even more, and she is definitely a good performer, in waiting. Jiiva and Samantha, literally lived and breathed as Varun and Nithya. Kudos to both of them. Santhanam was absolutely rib-tickling and smashing in his comedy portions. Though his usual teasing and double entendre dialogues were there, it was presented in a different style, which makes him look fresh. His scenes with debutante Vidyullekha Raman, parodying 'Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya' was a scream, with 'VTV' Ganesh, making a surprise cameo !! Ravi Raghavendra, Ravi Prakash, Sriranjani, Anupama Kumar, Christine Thambuswamy and etc were very apt for the film, and incorporated mannerisms and body language of typical Gautham Vasudev Menon's film characters.
The core of Gautham's favourite technicians are present in this film as well. First off, M.Ravi's stills, especially for the promotional posters, were beautiful and chic. Nalini Sriram's costume designing was a pleasant to the eyes of the viewers. The lead pair was looking simply ravishing, especially Samantha (Gautham's heroines are always portrayed beautifully). Rajeevan's art work was neat and in-tune with the script. The simple but wonderful sets for the songs, and the props for the plot settings, were very original and appropriate. Anthony was at his best as usual, with no gimmicks and tricks in the editing department. His work in the songs, especially the smooth transition from one scene to the other, was class. The cinematography was catchy, with correct color tones and appropriate angles for the important scenes. The pre-interval, lengthy scene, was shot well, capturing the emotional outbursts and body language of the lead pair. It was nearly impossible to differentiate the works of the three cinematographers who worked in the film but, S.R Kadhir, M.S Prabhu and Om Prakash, all share the credit for a neatly and aesthetically shot film.
'Isaignani' Ilaiyaraaja comes up with a beautiful and heavenly soundtrack. Most of the songs are gems in their own respective genres, but the instrumentation was fresh from the genius. Gautham Vasudev Menon, utilized Ilaiyaraaja extremely well, and the latter produced a wonderful, wonderful album which was recorded and mastered at the Angel Studios, England for which Anglo-Indian Music Productions was hired, providing singers, an 108-piece orchestra and percussion. "Pudikile Maamu" a half rock-half folk song, is the introductory song, with Santhanam opening it up, humorously. The dance for this song was stylishly choreographed by debutante Sathish Krishnan. There were plenty of cut-shots and it was precisely edited by Anthony, with good camera angles. "Vaanam Mella" is a flashback song, rewinding the past of the lead pair and a different color tone was used for the song, which was stretched for a longer duration. The pick of the lot, the melodious, "Saayndhu Saayndhu" was perfectly composed for the situation. It was placed when the love was proposed by the lead pair to each other by each other. This one too, has plenty of cut-shots and montages and smoothly edited by Anthony and some gorgeous art work by Rajeevan. "Mudhal Murai" is a situational song, showing the agony of the heroine living a lonely life without the romances of the hero. The song used montages and has plenty of close-ups of the heroine, but it sounds too heavy for the flow of the script. "Kaatrai Konjam", another situational song, highlights the travel journey of the hero in meeting the heroine after a gap. Actor Nani makes a smart cameo, in this song. "Ennodu Vaa Vaa", has some good camera movements and highlights the hero trying to woo back the heroine, and is also another situational song. "Pengal Endral" is a high-octane pathos song, showcasing the painful break-up of the lead pair, in montage sequences. "Satru Munbu", the final song, beautifully fits into the script and shows the sorry state of the heroine, fearing for the worst. This song too was stretched for the entire climax, portion. Ilaiyaraaja's background scoring is legendary and needs no specific mention, but here the magical touch was missing, since part of the songs were used sparingly as background score and dialogues taking more prominence, where Ilaiyaraaja, keeps everything else, muted.
Gautham Vasudev Menon has collaborated with Reshma Ghatala, in regards to the story, screenplay and dialogues of the film, and the pair has produced an excellently written script. The script was minutely observed and broken down, casually laid out, has in-depth and detailed dialogues. This is definitely Gautham's most maturely written love story, so far. He has taken off from where he left in 'Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa'. The complexities of the nitty-gritty details of love affair and arguments between the love couple, were explicitly and articulately portrayed. Gautham's success starts from the sketching of his characters. They all look familiar, just like any other individuals next door, but to shape them up in just pure writing, is an extraordinary feat. The lead pair has depth in their characterizations and look realistic, believable, and contemporary, which makes it relatable for any young, urban folks out there. The imperfections, the egoism, the hustle and tussle, the pressure, the disappointments, joy, sorrow, and the powerful, deep love between the lead characters, were just beautifully portrayed. Dialogues are extremely nuanced, and measured, smartly written but are of the heavy-duty category. And also, Gautham smartly makes sure that the names of the lead pair are mentioned constantly throughout the film, which convinces our minds to register those characters as Varun and Nithya, instead of just Jiiva and Samantha. The love portrayed here is more organic and natural since, it has a beginning from childhood and we see it develop through their teens and early adulthood. All these does not stop only with the characters of the lead pair, but also extends to the supporting characters, especially to family members of the hero. However, the pace of the film suffers, especially in the climax, which moves in a leisurely pace, which can test the patience of many viewers.
'Neethane En Ponvasantham' is not just another love story from Gautham, but a complete dissection of the love relationship between a man and a woman, who are filled with imperfections, but are expected to behave favorably towards each other. A definite cult-status worthy film in a decade or two and a classic in the romance genre in Tamizh cinema.
Ratings: 3/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
After the super hit 'Mynaa' Prabhu Solomon and team are back once again with a new premise-based film. 'Kumki' was promising in many ways, thanks to the promotions of Thirrupathi Brothers and the distributors Studio Green, the stunning musical score of D.Imman and an intriguing cast, that too a newcomer from the legendary Ganesan family. Vikram Prabhu, the son of actor Prabhu, makes his debut through this film. Much expectations and anticipation was there for this film. Ironically, an elephant plays a major role in this 'wild love story'.
Starting of with the debutante, Vikram Prabhu has done a splendid job with the very tough task of performing a mahout's role. It takes time before he really grows into the minds of viewers, but he confidently performs the myriad of emotions and actions needed,with ease, since its a heavy-duty role, emotionally and physically. He looks very apt for the role of 'Bomman', with a tall and lanky physique. His dialogue delivery too was spot on, and he definitely has a very bright future in Tamizh cinema. With more tutelage under talented directors such as Prabhu Solomon, he is bound to carry on the lineage of Sivaji Ganesan, proudly. Way to go ! Lakshmi Menon, who was supposed to take a bow with this film, comes out neat as a tribal girl. Her expressions are spot on but she has very less dialogues to utter (well dubbed by Meenalokshini) and her interactions with the protagonist was limited as well. Thambi Ramaiah, however takes the whole spotlight among entire cast, with his funny antics and dialogue delivery. His one-liners and body language are a scream, indeed ! Watch out for his 'mind-voice' sequences ! Ably aiding him in some scenes are Ashvin Raja. The rest of the cast such as'Junior' Balaiah, Nelson, Jamalloori, Anbu, Dharan and etc were very apt in their roles, including the cute elephant, Manickam.
P.R Ganesh handles the costume designing very well. The differentiation between each class and ethnicity was well shown in the costumes, especially among the tribal group. The VFX of the film, done by White Lotus, plays a very crucial role but the work was quite average, and it needs to be enhanced in a more realistic manner, since the movie is well shot. S.Durairaj's sound designing was spot on, with good sounds to give us the tribal and forest milieu feel. 'Anal' Arasu's action choreography was well done, which involves extremely hard work with the elephant. Vairabalan's art work was simple but very realistic. The entire village of the tribal folks were very realistically built, including the huts and houses. A thorough research must have taken place, during the filming and Vairabalan deserves praises for it. L.V Thasson's editing was neat, and his work for the VFX sequences are the highlights, and not to forget the songs as well. However, M.Sukumar takes the cake among the appreciation for the technician lot, because his cinematography was absolutely stunning ! The majestic Jog Falls, the extremely lush, green forests, the rain-soaked atmosphere, the close-ups and top-angles of the elephant, the beautiful sunflower fields, this film is definitely one of M.Sukumar's best works. He successfully transports us into the world and life of the characters very easily, and it almost feels like a dream. Hats off to M.Sukumar.
As mentioned earlier, D.Imman's musical score is stunning ! This can arguably be one of his best albums in his entire career. The songs are melodious and the instrumentation, especially the percussion and wind instruments, are put to very good use. "Yella Oorum", a short number is the opening introductory song, chronicling the life of the mahouts and the elephant and their journey making a living through the elephant. The are plenty of close-ups of the elephant, here. "Onnum Puriyile" portrays the protagonist falling in love at first sight with the heroine. The forests, the water and dew-drops were all caught in camera beautifully by M.Sukumar. Among the pick of the lots, "Aiyaiyo Aanandhame" brings out the fiery passion in the protagonist and the bonding session of the heroine and the elephant. The shots taken during dawn, are mystical yet beautiful. The song was mostly shot in landscape-type frames. "Nenju Vedikudhu" which did not feature in the album, is a situational bit-song. "Nee Yeppo" is a brilliant pathos song, showing many close-ups and montages of the hero, who is in the agony of pain, caused by love. "Sollittaale", another pick of the lot, was picturized in the stunning Jog Falls and the sunflower fields of Orissa. The top-angles used in the song, were breathtaking. This song features the actual chemistry of the lead pair, which was missing until then, in the film. "Soi Soi" also used lots of top-angles, and covers the harvest period, celebrated by the tribal people. It has good dance choreography by Noble and the instrumentation by D.Imman was brilliant. The background score too, was superbly handled, which were soothing and melodious, mostly. Take a bow, D.Imman ! You deserve all the appreciation.
Prabhu Solomon must be applauded for the selection of a fresh and unique premise of mahouts, elephants, tribal folks and forest life. The life and times of these people were well captured and portrayed in the film. The characters were well etched, the setting was well planned, and the research was well done. But the film lacks a commanding and arresting story line, nor any emotional quotient. What's present, are just mandatory sequences. Remember, Prabhu Solomon advertised it as a 'wild love story', and in order to have a good love story, the love between the lead pair must be well handled. But here, the love was lacking in depth and emotions, and by the time the love actually happens, the movie neared its climax soon and finishes off, in an contrivedly, predictable manner. The story takes its own sweet time to unravel, but is compensated with the funny antics of the characters, the fresh premise laid in the plot and for the songs, picturized beautifully. The elephant was put to good use, which is commendable and the team must be praised for their strenuous hard-work. The end dialogues of the protagonist were very touching and and wonderfully, written by Prabhu Solomon.
'Kumki' is not in the same league as 'Mynaa' emotion quotient wise, but the extreme hard work put in by Prabhu Solomon's team, in giving a quality and neat film, is laudable. Could have been better, but it will be too harsh to criticize the film, overtly.
Ratings: 3/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
Vijay Sethupathi, who is on a roll with continuous successes, has starred in another different attempt, which has a unique and quirky title. Directed by Balaji Tharaneetharan, this film is said to be inspired from a true incident, which ironically happened to the cinematographer of this film, C.Premkumar ! Will Balaji continue the new wave of next-gen directors such as Balaji Mohan and Karthik Subbaraj ?
The casting of the film is pretty simple and neat. Vijay Sethupathi is the pivot which the whole film centers on, and he has done clear justice to the film. Delivering a measured and composed performance, Vijay has done a brilliant job as a temporary memory loss patient. His expressions, looks and dialogue delivery was very apt and splendid. Though it can look easy to maintain the same reaction throughout the film, it is indeed difficult to maintain the consistency and he has handled that part very well. Looks like this man will be the next indie super star ! Gayathri of '18 Vayasu' fame makes a minor appearance in the film and was adequate. Vigneswaran as Saras was serious and intense with his performance, while Bagawathi Perumal and C.Rajkumar were a scream throughout the film. Their personal duel and bantering between each other were explicitly humorous, though none of it was intentional ! Bagawathi, who happens to be a real-life witness of the incident was brilliant with his 'advising' and authoritative imposition. C.Rajkumar was funny with his petrified and shocked looks, all through the movie. The bonding and seriousness between the friends were very natural and real. The rest of the cast were apt, such as Usha, Kameshwar Rao, Madhumathi, Raju Sivashankaran and etc.
Shankar's costumes were very apt and resonated the middle-class milieu perfectly. Dhilip Subbarayan's stunts choreography was very minimal but adequate. A.S Lakshmi Narayanan's audiography could have been better with some timing missing in few places and in certain portions the background score was a little louder. C.Veeramani's art direction was simple and effective, especially for the props in reception and wedding sets and not to forget the hospital scenes. R.Govindaraj should have done much better in the editing department, because the film was too lengthy and after a certain period of time, the monotony kicks in, which might test the patience of viewers. But his work in the cricket episode was good. C.Premkumar's cinematography was effective, with plenty of close-up shots and low, tight angles, which were relevant to such story-lines which needs to capture the looks and emotions of the characters, clearly. His handling of the camera for the cricket episode was cheeky too, with slow motions, which adds to the fun and humor quotient of the film.
Music of the film was very refreshing and pleasantly done by Ved Shankar, a product of A.R Rahman's KM Music Conservatory. The "Excuse Me Sir" was a funny introductory song of the vital four friends characters, and features many cut shots and montages. None of the other songs were featured in the film, unfortunately though the "Oh Crazy Minnal" sung by Andrea was a hit, and the "Omelette Potta" song with some basic set designs and props were used for promotional purposes only. Siddharth Vipin, an assistant keyboardist to A.R Rahman, takes care of the background score. His cheeky score helps elevate the humor quotient in some places and some places reminds us of his mentor, especially in the end track, which sounds like inspired from the "Sandai Kozhi" song from 'Aayutha Ezhuthu'. End of the day, a neat musical score for the film.
Balaji Tharaneetharan has made the film in such a way, where it mimics the real life. Not in any scene it looks like a cinematic film. A definitely refreshing movie, since the comedies are very situational, but what makes it much better is the mood of the film. Though the whole film is serious from start to finish, we will fail not to laugh out loud at the misfortunes of the four friends characters and their arduous task in taking care of the complicating situations. The director keeps the viewers guessing till the end, regarding the fate of the lead hero, but the process is slow, which can put off some viewers. The dialogues are very quirkily written, reflecting the naughty and humor sense of the males. Boys and men would definitely, enjoy this film much more than the fairer sex. The plot and narration is pretty much straightforward and the end credits was pretty touching.
'Naduvule Konjam Pakkathe Kaanom' - movie where you can 'LOL-out' out throughout the film. One of the best situational comedies to ever come out in Tamizh cinema !
Ratings: 3/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
After the critically-acclaimed and National Award-winning film, 'Thenmerku Paruvakaatru', Seenu Ramasamy is back with 'Neerparavai', a film portraying the life and times of the fishing folks. Interestingly, this film is produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin, through his Red Giants Films banner, which is a new turn for him, who is used to produce big-budget films, with top notch stars. Collaborating again with Vairamuthu and N.R Raghunandan, and incorporating rock-solid cast, can Seenu Ramasamy, strike it again ?
As mentioned, the film does have a rock-solid casting and all of them have done justice to their roles, be it major or minor. Starting of with the protagonist, Vishnu does very well with his body language and dialogue delivery. Not to forget, the fantastic expressions, which are necessary for non-dialogue portions. With more such good films, the actor in Vishnu can grow into a solid performer. But Sunaina steals the spotlight from him with a restrained and fantastic performance ! The de-glamorized look and her expressive eyes works well for her role and this film has the best performance for her so far, in her career. Well done, Sunaina ! Nandita Das, plays the older version of Sunaina, and also has the more heavy-duty portions, though its bewildering why Seenu has to opt for another actress when Sunaina can handle it well. Deepa Venkat's dubbing for both Sunaina and Nandita was pitch-perfect. Close on the heels were, 'Poo' Ram and Saranya Ponvannan, who excelled in their roles. The casting was perfectly done and each artistes, such as Samuthirakani, Vadivukarasi, Thambi Ramaiah, Azhagam Perumal, Aruldass, 'Black' Paandi, Yogi Devaraj, Imman Annachi, Anupama Kumar, Varsha Ashwati, Nandagi, Seenu Ramasamy himself in a cameo and etc were a perfect choice for their roles !
V.Moorthy's costumes were fitting for each character, especially for the changeover of Vishnu from a wastrel to an hardworking chap. 'Super' Subbarayan's stunt choreography was well choreographed, and the props usage such as boats, oars, nets and even the fishes were handled well ! It is indeed nice to see him choreographing decent and not over-the-top kind of fight sequences. V.Selvakumar's art direction was functional, especially for the props in settings such as sea shore houses, the small church and other small venues. M.Kasivishwanathan's editing is flawless and smooth, eventhough the pacing is a little slow. His work in the song sequences, were good. The biggest asset of 'Neerparavai' is the cinematography by Balasubramaniem. His shots and frames are beautiful and pleasing to the eyes, be it the sandy beaches, or the rural homes. His handling of angles and color saturation setting were splendid, especially in the songs and in the beach fight sequence. 'Neerparavai' is definitely a milestone in Balasubramaniem's career.
N.R Radhunandan's music complements the script as well, with perfect tunes and soothing instrumentations. The male version of "Para Para" song is a sheer delight for the eyes, with beautiful framing and color tones used by Balasubramaniem. The sunset beach, the rain drops, everything works out very well for the song. "Ratha Kanneer" is a situational song, highlighting the struggle of the protagonist in getting out from alcohol addiction and was picturized him struggling in the rehab centre. "Yaar Veettu" is another situational song, in flashback mode, picturing the introduction of the protagonist as a child and his upbringing. Some beautiful shots of the sea features in this song. "Meenukku" is a romantic song picturized on the lead pair and has very bright lighting, thanks to the scorching sun. The song has some good framing from Balu. "Devan Magale" is another romantic song, with intimate montage sequences featuring the lead pair which purportedly has Vishnu giving '100 kisses' to Sunaina ! The female version of "Para Para" song is a situational song as well, capturing the agony of the heroine, not knowing the fate of the protagonist who is missing, and also used just before the end credits, picturized on Nandita and the sea. N.R Raghunandan's background score is just as pleasant as the songs as well. Looks like Seenu Ramasamy, N.R Raghunandan and Vairamuthu has forged a solid partnership !
Seenu Ramasamy's script is not as powerful and emotionally stimulating as his previous 'Thenmerku Paravukaatru' but what makes us engaged with 'Neerparavai' is the characters, which are portrayed in the film. The characters look very real and non-cinematic in any manner and variety of complexities they show throughout the film, holds our attention well. Seenu's narration is a little slow paced and the plot line is quite thin, but it does not affect the film since the rhythm pattern of the film, is maintained consistently, throughout. Important questions and social issues are brought up in a very neat manner, without being overbearing and the comedy portions are weaved smoothly in the screenplay. Dialogues, jointly written with popular writer Jayamohan, are brilliantly penned. Another element Seenu should be appreciated for is the designing of characters which are not portrayed in 'black or white' format, keeping us from being judgmental towards the characters.
Kudos to Seenu for coming out with a matured and articulative film ! Though it might not be as emotional as 'Thenmerku Paruvakaatru', 'Neerparavai' is still a pleasant watch of emotional human dramas and pertinent issues.
Ratings: 3/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
