Sarkar - 3rd time unlucky!!!

A perfect political launch pad for Vijay, however, as a movie Sarkar falters. How ARM, after 2 good movies with Vijay, conceptualized this one, makes me wonder.

The opening scenes of setting up for a grand entry of Vijay makes no sense. The irrefutable link to Sundar Pichay and Google are childish and one does not expect this from the maker of movies like Gajini and Ramana.

The movie does have a good social message. The story is simple, fresh and quite straight forward, screenplay lacks the punch. Unnecessary interludes for a song here and there make the fare a downright boring one. Remove all the unnecessary elements, read Keerthi Suresh, Yogi Babu and the songs, the movie might have been a better one to watch. Even the action sequences lack the punch. With someone as good a Vijay, the action sequences were something that makes for an Ajith movie. Sadly, even the BGM is not as good as his earlier movies.

All in all a lackluster Diwali treat from ARM.

Vijay rocks in this own style, the dialogue deliveries, the energy he carries throughout the movie, his dances, you cannot find fault. But then, even he seems to have lost the steam in the climax scene, was he not too convinced with the climax, for one, I was not.

Sarkar, even the fans would agree, is not the best Vijayor ARM movie, but a great political launch pad.

Naachiyar - Bala, a different shade

Nacchiyar
Definitely starts as a Bala film. Dark, poignant background music. A lonely stray dog. Heaps of rubbish. You settle down to watch a typical film. And you are not disappointed. The first few scenes move on and you feel a sense of impending doom coming on later. However, just before half way, the movie turns around into an investigative thriller. Who is the wrong doer? Is Naachiyar able to break the shackles of the system to bring the culprit to justice? This takes precedence.

Bala showcases a love story set in local Chennai and succeeds in capturing the element. Thanks to GV Prakash and Ivana, whose chemistry and the local slang is good. The director in Bala does not waste too many shots on the romance and neither on the investigation. He sticks to the basics, keeps the whole movie crisp and to the point.Just 100 minutes of run time. And he does wonders.

Yes, the dark element does come out in the penultimate scene and it would be a crime to discuss that here. 

A touch of Balachander and Balamahendra, if you know what I mean.

Jyothika as Naachiyar is a perfect fit. God bless her for missing Mersal to do this (or so I hear). She would have been wasted in Mersal.

Crisp to watch, quick to write about.

A must for all Bala fans. A must for all movie buffs who love a quick narration with a good ending.

Mersal... Not much of an astonishment!!!

It's Diwali. Play it safe!!. A definite celebration for hardcore Thalapathy fans. For others, a mere masala pot boiler with a message on healthcare.

Mersal is like watching a mash up of the best scenes and screen play from Moondru Mugam+ Aboorva Sagothargal + Sivaji + Anniyan. The story line from MM, some of the "killing" scenes from AS, intro scene from Sivaji and the punishment scenes of Anniyan.

Screenplay - Racy

Romance scenes - Cute

Action scenes - Fire

Message - Good

Story - Leaves a lot to think about

But for the racy screenplay the movie would be a damp squib. 3 heroines, of which 2 are just there for a few scenes. Only Nithya Menon has anything of substance to deliver. And she does. Kajol and Samantha are the usual glamour dolls.

In the first half, all of the songs are thrust in with no need. And this unnecessarily drags the movie. The second half is full of cliche scenes. No element of suspense or surprise. The movie keeps going ahead with just the presence of Vijay's on screen. A definite crowd puller. However, even he falters in his delivery of the message at the end. Too much resemblance to the message scene in ARM's Katthi. Thalapathy has to get better at this.

So, what makes this a crowd puller? In spite of all the deterrents, the movie is still engaging. Not engrossing, however, better than most others. If only the dragging portions were left out, some of the loose ends tied up properly, this could have been made to be a better movie.

Vikram Vedha - Vedalam sonna Kadhai

Vedalam sonna Kadhai

Many a movies "attempt" a different treatment but seldom excel. Director duo Pushkar-Gayathri, excel in this department in their latest, Vikram Vedha. The graphical introduction scene sets the tone for the rest of the film to come, for those not familiar with the Vikramaadityan-Vedaalam stories or the much viewed Vikram Aur Betal soap on DD, this is a must see.

From a story line it is in reality a very straightforward good cop, corrupt cop, gangster(s) story. But then the screen play, narrative style and the treatment that the movie gets is what makes it stand out. Madhavan as Vikram the straightforward cop and Vijay Sethupathy as Vedha the gangster who has a keen sense of right and wrong are just superb. Their power house performance dominates the movie.

Who killed Simon? Who killed Chandra? And why?

Every single time they meet, Vedha weaves a story and leaves Vikram with a question. And by finding the answer to each question, Vikram moves closer and closer to finding out the real culprits. An interesting narrative.

Vikram, Simon and others are part of an elite police team that are encounter specialists and are tracking down the elusive Vedha, a notorious gangster wanted for 16 murders. The opening encounter scene sets the stage for the rest of the movie. The treatment of the encounter scene in itself is very different with a Vikram casually waltzing in and talking to his colleagues as if visiting a friends house, pulling one others legs with no signs of what is to come. Even during the encounter itself, the casual walk and talk is a refreshing take on how these scenes are usually depicted.

Post the shoot out, Vedha is introduced to us. And what an introduction scene. While the whole police force is seen mobilizing to capture him, he very coolly walks in to the commissioners office, with a keera vadai in hand, yes keera vadai, throws it to a dog, walks past the metal detector and pulls out his gun and then surrenders!!!

While everyone is questioning him, the only question that Vikram has is, why? Why has Vedha come out of hiding? Why surrender?

And when he asks Vedha these questions, the first story unfolds. How Vedha became what he is. How a commoner like Vedha who was loading boxes at the harbor transform to Vedha the gangster? At the end of the story, Vedha poses a question to Vikram and also gets bailed out by Vikram's wife, a lawyer.

Why Vedha chooses her as his lawyer is also a question that gets answered in due course. Post this initial meet, Vikram and Vedha keep clashing and at every clash a story, followed by a question. And the whole movie unfolds in this manner.

Kudos to the director couple. From a intense Oram Po to an immensely enjoyable comedy in Va (Va Quarter Cutting) to a cop tale. Great going.

Kabaali - Well, who is he?

Kabaali - Well, who is he?

Though it can remind the hardcore Rajini fan of the yesteryear character in one of his movies (Janakaraj in Padikaathavan?, if memory serves me right), it is definitely not a fun movie.
Is Kabaali a mass hero movie?. Though it does spread roots there, it is not an out and out mass movie like a Baasha. But no less.
Is Kabaali a messiah? Nah. With the climax the way it is, it is definitely not so.
Is Kabaali a wannabe Godfather (read Naaagan), much closer. But then which gangster movie made in the next 100 years will not be compared to these greats. None!!!

So who is Kabaali? In essence, WHAT is Kabaali!!!!. Trying to solve the puzzle here.

What Kabaali is, is a phenomenon called RajiniKanth. And in all true senses, the kaantham (magnetic force) in his eyes, which has enthralled audiences for years together now, continues.
What it also proves is that, even such a charismatic artist as such, require a good script. What happened to Lingaa, we all know and that is proof enough.
What it also proves is that we need a new league of directors to take our SuperStar to the next level.

Unfortunately, for us fans, and let us admit, it also proves that our SuperStar is  SUPER, but also old. We are not able to see the briskness that is soooo associated with him. We are not able to see, believe and digest him now smothering some 5 or 10 people. Due credit to the stunt director who has made all effort to see to it that the stunt sequences are "effortless" and believable, even then, in some of the scenes, the age does creep in.

In essence, What Kabaali is, is a tribute to the SuperStar, and one which cannot be surpassed, till one such comes, in the near future.

What is it not!!

Not many of you will love to hear this, but then, here goes.

It is not a run off the mill Rajini starrer, to start with the positives.

Now, having said that, the positive is also a HUGE negative. The fact that many of us still have our throats in place and functional, in spite of the FDFS, is proof that it is not one.

It is surely not in the lines of a Darmadurai or a Padaiyappa or even a Baasha for that matter. 

What it is, is a gangster movie and a Ranjith one at the end. An out an out directors movie that is well made

The elements that keep a Rajini movie alive are ALL present and omnipresent throughout the movie.As I said earlier, a better movie to remember our SuperStart is surely yet to be conceived.

Any more and I will have to dwell in to the story, which in this case, not only is irrelevant, but also a spoiler.

Marana Maaaas, as I told many of my friends!!! To sum it up, that is what Kabaali is....Marana Maass... kozhi kari!!?? :-)

Gethu- Could have better "stuff"

What is a good story line gets spoilt by the "requirement" for romance, dancing around trees, sentiment etc that makes a Tamil movie what it is. Remove these from the equation and add a racier screenplay, the movie could be a very well made action thriller.

A contract killer out to assassinate the APJ replacement in the story. How he lures the scientist who never makes it out of the research center and the planning around it and how and why it gets upset by the protagonist makes for the story.

Udhaynidhi as the protagonist has come a long way from his initial days. His dancing and stunt skills have considerably improved. Acting skills have also improved, but the script does not ask for much emoting hence he is at ease.
Sathyaraj as the straight forward father who is a physical education trainer fits the bill to the T and carries off the role with aplomb. You can not find fault. Not in one scene.

The sister and mother play their role. Nothing much asked for, nothing much delivered.

Amy Jackson, well, a let down. Not that we are used to see her "acting" but you are definitely upset that the Amy we saw in I (Shankar) and in this movie seem so completely different. Is she the same glamorous one we saw in I, makes me wonder. And I am not talking about skimpy dresses here, do not get me wrong, I am talking about the choice of costumes and the way her screen presence is brought out. What is a wonder is that the cinematographer has captured nature in all its glory and not Amy. Why man, why?

Background music is good. But the first song, though it has racy music, the lyrics and singing is definitely a let down. Or should I say, a waste of the good music for that song. Talking of songs, ALL of the songs, but for the title one, are misplaced. Made me think I was watching a Telegu action movie, when you have a song inserted during the tail end of the movie when Udhaynidhi returns a necklace to Amy. Even the first song, going by the lyrics sounds like a song for a situation where the hero would have proposed to the heroine and she rejected him, but in reality, Udhay never would have expressed his opinion to Amy and much worse, the song is actually an imaginary one of Amy.

Tamil movie directors need to think beyond the song and dance and stick to screenplay. Remember ThoongaVanam guys.

The action sequences are well choreographed. Udhay has put in a lot of effort and it definitely pays off. But then again, why does the climax fight seems so out of place. What should have been an epic clash, whittles out in comparison to the bar fight sequence.
As a whole, the climax does not carry the weight required. Neither does Vikrant's role. What could have been made as a role that the viewers could have either empathised with or wholly hated, the director leaves the viewer neither option. You neither hate nor love the character. It had the potential to be either.

Net net, what could have been made as a very good action thriller, come out a very mediocre action romance movie because of the quite unnecessary requirements of romance, sentiment etc as indicated earlier.

Thoonga Vanam - A sleeper hit? or a gentle reminder?

Thoonga Vanam - A sleeper hit? or a gentle reminder?

It is indeed very difficult to review a movie such as Thoongavaman, especially when it is made with Kamal Hassan in the lead. Anyone else and the job would be a simple open and shut case, so to say.

The plot is simple, we have CKD, played by Kamal and Mani played by Yugi Sethu chase a couple of drug dealers and in the process Mani kills one of them while CKD is injured by the other. The confiscated drugs are taken to CKD's house giving a clear indication of his true color. The next day CKD's son is kidnapped by the dealer Vittal Rao (Prakash Raj) and in return he wants the confiscated drugs. CKD promises the drugs and take it back to Vittal much against the will of Mani, however, the drugs get lost in the club the transaction takes place and to further complicate 2 more police personnel are also present, Trisha and Kishore. Does CKD succeed in the exchange? Does he outwit the criminals and the police? form the rest of the movie.

All the events take place during one night and is shown in a very interesting manner. No exotic locations. Just one club, CKD's house, a hospital, a police station to name most. But the movie moves along in a gripping fashion. Kudos to the director and screenplay (Kamal, again).

A very close remake of the original, Sleepless Night and the due credit given. 

What makes the movie stand apart is the fact that it is NOT a Kamal movie. The fact that Kamal (in my opinion at least) is moving away from the mass hero image and has started delivering content based movies, makes it even more interesting. Not that Kamal has never done it, the point I am trying to make is, while most of the "older" heroes are still caught in the bigger than real life image that has been created, delivering on content based movies that can equally be a commercial hit and playing his age. I think it is a pointer to most ageing heroes on how they can simply transform to these roles and still keep the fans happy.

Kishore does a good job. His underplayed anger post getting bashed by Kamal and his frustration at the loss is proof enough. 

Trisha's stunt sequences are, what to say, a first for her and in many ways for Tamil heroines. So kudos to her on making it look real rather than an evident body dupe play.

Prakash Raj, I must admit, is getting repetitive. We could have said good job, if it was his first, unfortunately, it is not the case. He has played this bad boy image a zillion times and it is time he focusses on his pluses and play some roles that are not a gangster, please Prakash.

The rest of the cast, come and go. Or we can say come, get kissed, and again, then kiss and then gone. Madhu Shalini, no offence. But you were pretty in your own way.

Director Rajesh M Selva. After having worked alongside Kamal in movies like Visawaroopam, Manmadhan Ambu etc, has definitely evolved as a director. Sometimes when a 3rd person directs a Kamal movie, it feels like Kamal himself directed (Anbe Sivam). But not this one. And it is a direct credit to the director and his ability. Hats off.

A must watch for all crime thriller lovers and most definitely for Kamal fans.