aakash_vasudevan Reviews

180 (II) (2011)

An Emotional Drama

[6/10 · 25 June 2011]

"Emotional Drama" is a genre that is said to be best left to Mani Ratnam. But, with an intriguing trailer, high resolution camera and a decent cast, this movie promised an awful lot. Has it delivered? Ummm.. yes and no. While it does'nt match the brilliance of "Roja" or "Kannathil Muthamittal", it is definitely not an outright failure.

As any movie of this genre should, it gently pokes your heart right from the very start. An amusing twist in the second-half saw the movie change gears into a full-fledged emotional roller-coaster. Though all signs pointed to a gloomy ending, the climax does its bit to keep us guessing. Siddharth does a decent, if not excellent, job. Rest of the cast chip in to give a fairly admirable movie.

Having said all that, the movie does have quite a bit of flaws. There are some plot-holes (Revealing them would give the whole plot away). Editing should have been better. Way too many songs, a slow first half and some redundant scenes take away a fair bit of shine from the movie.

But a bold venture into such a complex genre by a debut director is certainly appreciable. I really hope Jayandra does'nt disappear with just this one movie.

Bottom line: 6/10

Aaranya Kaandam (2010)

Simply Superb

[9/10 · 22 June 2011]

Tamil Gangster flicks usually fail miserably on so many levels. But this one is nothing short of a masterpiece.

The movie has every trait of a great entertainer: excellent story, fantastic narrative style, superb acting, clever and witty dialogues, unexpected twists, super-ironic BGM, and most of all, believable. Also, very few directors try to portray reality and human emotions per Se. Some fail miserably. But, Thiagarajan Kumararaja does an outstanding job.

While this movie was incredibly entertaining for those two hours, it never occurred to me until I reached home, that the director had intended this movie to stand for something much deeper than just a cool gangster flick. The movie simply conveys that there are no good or bad people. We are all driven purely by emotions such as fear, lust, anger, pride,.. As a hint to what's coming, the movie starts off with this beautiful phase:

Edhu Dharmam? Edhu thevaiyo adhuve Dharmam.

There are some reviews out there that say that this movie is not for the common mass. I totally disagree. The theme might be a bit mature, some abusive languages (which I am sure most of us are somewhat used to) but nothing really explicit is shown. I certainly recommend this movie for anyone above 18 and that's just for the language.

Notice that I have not mentioned anything about the story. Knowing even a portion of the story takes away half the fun. Go there with absolutely no idea about the movie and I assure you, you will be dumbfounded. And most of all, don't be late!

Bottom line: Can't wait for the director's next movie!

Avan Ivan (2011)

Expected a lot more from Bala

[5/10 · 22 June 2011]

Bala is one of the few directors who is not afraid to experiment, take up any plot no matter how dark or unfamiliar it is and most importantly, tries to portray his characters as believable yet fascinating. He is the one director I thought I could always count on to come up with something entirely fresh and out-of-the-box as opposed to the commercial crap that is currently plaguing our Tamil cinema. Well, I am not sure anymore.

Avan Ivan has a very simple story line, a lot of irrelevant scenes, whole lot of forced comedy, many plot-holes, many unanswered questions and most disappointing of all, Arya's unnatural acting.

The story goes like this: G.M. Kumar, the village "Jameen" is like a father-figure to Arya and Vishal. He is brutally murdered by the villain and then, as expected the half-brothers avenge his death. There are many sub-plots but none of which are developed. In fact, 75% of the movie is irrelevant to the main story.

Just for the sake of completeness, here are some aspects that may be considered as positives: Vishal, considering his abominable acting in most of his previous movies, has done an impressive job. G.M. Kumar has also done a decent job. Yuvan, as usual, has done his bit with BGM. Ambika delivers some strong one-liners that might amuse some (disgust most).

Bottom line: If you are a Bala fan like me, you will be disgusted.

Aanmai Thavarael (2011)

A decent first-attempt by Director Kuzhandai Velappan

[6/10 · 11 June 2011]

This movie deals with a very delicate subject of human trafficking. Although this story is somewhat new to Tamil cinema, the idea is in fact taken from "Taken" (no pun intended!). It might be too much to say that this movie is a remake of the Hollywood "Taken", but there were quite a few similarities. (I am refraining from quoting instances. Don't wanna give too much away!)

But the gist of the story goes like this: A working girl Yamuna goes missing after her night-shift work. Her lover teams up with a veteran cop to nail the bad guys. Sounds simple, but the movie is definitely not your "boy-kicks-100-asses-and-rescues-girl" movie.

For one thing, the director depicts the scenes with shocking detail that your heart goes out for the victims. Then again, it is that obvious that the director has borrowed some thoughts from the Hollywood movie. Another thing is that the movie deals with a relatively new subject in Tamil cinema. That keeps the audience engrossed for they are curious to know the fate of the victims.

But the climax was a bit of a let-down. It was almost like the director had run out of ideas as to how to finish the movie. He resorts to something Vijaykanthish (you know what I am talking' about!). Couple of other things were also mediocre at best: location and sets were pretty ordinary. In fact, the sets were so ordinary and out-of-place that it was hard to digest that that is where kidnapped victims are secured. But you cant really blame the director for insufficient budget.

Bottom line: Something out of the box and intriguing. Watch if you have nothing else to do.

Azhagarsamy's Horse (2011)

Worth a watch

[7/10 · 4 June 2011]

Azhagarsamiyin Guthirai is one of those 'not-so-pungent-yet-so-good' comedy movie. This movie, like so many others, delivers a message to the public. But what makes it stand out, is the way in which the message is taken to viewers. Unlike many other movies, this movie does not rely on "punch dialogs" or "inspiring speeches". Instead, the director employs subtle humor and sarcastic remarks to get the message across to the audience. This approach is very admirable for its a novel attempt in Tamil cinema.

Ironically, the story itself deals with age old tradition that is still being followed in some remote village in Tamilnadu. The villagers of Mallayapuram believe that there will be rain in the village only after the "thiruvizha", in which their deity (Azhagar) is taken to the river on a wooden horse. However, they are in for a shock when they find out that the wooden horse is missing. Revealing any more of the story would be giving too much away!

Bottom line - A perfect movie to watch with your family.

Saroja (2008)

Excellent entertainer

[8/10 · 2 June 2011]

I entered the theater with absolutely no idea about the movie, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The first 20 mins of the movie aimlessly wanders and just when you begin to wonder where the story is heading, Venkat Prabhu takes you on one heck of a Journey.

I am not going to reveal any part of the story. But I will say this. Never before have I seen such a perfect comedy thriller. Movies of this genre usually tend to favor comedy and completely ignore the suspense and thriller element. But 'Saroja' is one of those rare beauties that gives a perfect blend of both in just the right dose.

Bottom line: Don't miss this one!

The Hangover Part II (2011)

Its getting old Todd..

[6/10 · 29 May 2011]

Hangover I was so good because of its originality, unconventional narration, suspense and of course, dirty humor. Now, slash out everything except dirty humor and you have got Hangover II.

Hangover II could have been so much more than it is. It might be too much to say that the plot was predictable, but it sure as hell did'nt surprise me. Sure, it was loaded with dirty (almost inappropriate) humor but thats pretty much all that is enjoyable.

Hangover 3 better be something very different. Otherwise, even the mildly enjoyable dirty jokes are going to turn into worn-out clichés.

Bottom line: Go there and pretend to enjoy it. Thats the best you can do!