Thandatti Movie Review (Tamil)

 

Thandatti is a refreshing addition to Tamil cinema, with debutant director Ram Sangaiah delivering a satirical and thrilling tale that explores village dynamics and selfish motives with uncompromising realism. The screenplay cleverly involves the audience as a character, immersing them in an authentic world filled with family conflicts, humorous moments, and unexpected twists.

The film shines in its portrayal of village relationships and the complexities of human nature. The director skillfully presents a mourning household, where grandmothers engage in comparisons, daughters vie for control over the Thandatti, and a son remains strangely unaffected by his mother's death. The performances of the chosen actors contribute significantly to the film's success, and the climax is particularly unpredictable and satisfying.

Pasupathi delivers a compelling performance as the head constable Subramani, perfectly capturing the character's struggle in a troubled town and his evolving involvement in the mysterious disappearance of the Thandatti. His body language and experience add depth to the role, enhancing the overall viewing experience.

Rohini impresses as the golden girl, charming the village's elderly lady. Her observant nature allows her to sense her daughters' distress over taking something from the house, adding nuance to her character. While Deepa Shankar's portrayal of the daughter can be slightly exaggerated at times, Semmalar Annam, Janaki, Poovita, and Vivek Prasanna deliver commendable performances.

Mahesh Muthuswamy's cinematography beautifully captures the rustic beauty of the village, immersing the audience in its earthy essence. The background music by KS Sundaramurthy complements the narrative, adding depth and intensity to the story. Siva's cinematography further enhances the visual appeal of the film.

While Thandatti offers a welcome and unique storyline, there are minor flaws that hinder its overall impact. Initially, it takes some effort to fully engage the audience in the story. However, once the Thandatti disappears, the anticipation rises, and the plot becomes more intriguing. Unfortunately, the introduction of a new issue after the main conflict is resolved feels like an attempt to artificially prolong the story, ultimately disappointing the viewer.

Furthermore, the film overlooks the emotional depth surrounding the mother's death. Despite her passing, there is a lack of genuine sorrow or mourning from the characters. The daughters' sole focus on capturing the Thandatti and the son's portrayal as a loveless drunkard detract from the potential emotional resonance of the narrative.

Despite these minor flaws, Thandatti is a commendable cinematic work that offers a fresh perspective on village dynamics. Director Ram Sangaiah's uncompromising realism, coupled with strong performances from the cast and the film's engaging climax, make it a worthwhile watch. The cinematography and background music add depth to the storytelling, successfully capturing the essence of the village and amplifying the film's impact.

Cinema Review Rating – 2.75 /5 ✫✫⋆⋆

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Paayum Oli Nee Yenakku Movie Review (Tamil)

Paayum Oli Nee Yenakku is an action-packed thriller that revolves around the unique premise of the protagonist's visual impairment in low light. Director Karthik Advait presents an intriguing storyline that has garnered attention online for its fresh concept.

One of the film's notable strengths lies in the performance of Vikram Prabhu, who delivers an exceptional portrayal of the lead character, Arvind. Despite his light sensitivity, Prabhu convincingly executes intense action sequences, showcasing his ability to navigate and confront adversaries using his other senses. His dedication to the role is commendable and adds depth to the overall viewing experience.

The background score by Mahadi Swara Sagar, son of music composer Manisarma, injects dynamism into the scenes, heightening the tension and enhancing the narrative's impact. Additionally, Sridhar's cinematography effectively captures the contrasting elements of darkness and light, creating visually captivating moments throughout the film.

However, Paayum Oli Nee Yenakku suffers from some significant drawbacks, primarily stemming from its convenient and contrived writing. The screenplay often resorts to implausible scenarios and forced plot developments. For instance, the sudden romantic involvement of a character who is destined to be killed feels out of place and serves little purpose in advancing the story. Moreover, the transition from a day scene to a night scene to convey the protagonist's consciousness issue seems forced and unnatural.

The investigation scenes in the second half lack the necessary intrigue and excitement due to a weakly developed villain character. The dialogues merely build up the tension without being substantiated by visually engaging sequences. Furthermore, the utilization of a stress-free flashback near the end to trap the villain feels like an outdated narrative technique, failing to leave a lasting impact.

While Vikram Prabhu delivers a standout performance, some supporting characters, such as Vani Bhojan's character, appear and disappear without significant contribution to the plot, giving the impression of underutilization. While Vela Ramamurthy impresses as 'Elandari Pillai' with his youthful appearance and fierce combat skills, the overall characterization of the villain played by Dhananjaya feels underdeveloped.

Despite these shortcomings, Paayum Oli Nee Yenakku attempts to explore a unique premise and offers moments of excitement through its action sequences and innovative use of the protagonist's disability. However, the director's approach of favouring individual scenes over cohesive storytelling limits the film's overall appeal, resulting in a somewhat artificial and less engaging experience.

Cinema Review Rating – 2.5 /5 ✫✫⋆

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ASVINS Movie Review (Tamil) 

Asvins is a Tamil horror film that successfully combines elements of both Indian mythology and Western horror tropes, delivering a genuinely terrifying experience for audiences. The film's blend of desi-rooted fables, religious rituals, and satanic customs creates a unique and compelling storyline that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.

One of the standout features of Asvins is its effective use of found footage and POV-style cinematography. The dim lighting, eerie sounds, and sudden camera moves contribute to some truly brilliant jump scares, making it a thrilling watch for fans of old-school horror. The film's ability to evoke fear and tension is commendable, and it stands out as one of the scariest films in Tamil cinema in recent years.

The technical aspects of Asvins are top-notch, with impressive performances from the lead cast. Vimala Raman delivers a standout performance despite her limited screen time, showcasing her talent in the horror genre once again. Vasanth Ravi shines in his role, effectively portraying a character who must confront the supernatural and save his friends. The chemistry between the actors and their ability to convey fear and horror are captivating.

Additionally, the film's sound design by Vijay Siddharth deserves special mention. The atmospheric soundscapes created by Siddharth play a crucial role in setting the mood and enhancing the overall experience of the film. The combination of strong performances, effective cinematography, and exceptional sound design makes Asvins a technically impressive psychological horror film.

While Asvins succeeds in delivering scares and creating a tense atmosphere, it falters in terms of its storytelling and pacing. The film's attempt to explain the supernatural happenings and connect them to the present-day events feels rushed and lacks the impact it should have had. The climax of the film suffers from a hurried unraveling of plot points, leaving viewers wanting more.

The film's use of concepts such as astral planes, duality, and an intermediate state for the dead isn't adequately explained for those unfamiliar with these ideas. While fans of films like Us and the Insidious franchise may find these concepts intriguing, newcomers to the genre may struggle to fully grasp their significance. The film's resemblance to classics like The Blair Witch Project also detracts from its originality and fails to add much to the overall experience.

Furthermore, some of the setups for scares in Asvins feel contrived and convenient. The reliance on typical horror tropes, such as attics and basements as safehouses for ghosts, and malfunctioning lights, diminishes the impact of the scares. Additionally, the forced inclusion of subplots involving brotherly bonding and surprise planning for a character's husband feels unnecessary and detracts from the main storyline.

While Asvins excels in its technical aspects and delivers effective horror moments, its shortcomings in storytelling, pacing, and reliance on familiar tropes prevent it from reaching its full potential. The film could have benefited from a more detailed and fleshed-out narrative, providing a deeper exploration of its intriguing concepts. Nevertheless, for horror enthusiasts, Asvins still offers a technically strong and satisfying experience within the genre.

Cinema Review Rating – 2.5 /5 ✫✫⋆

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BOMMAI Movie Review (Tamil)

"Bommai" tells a unique and intriguing story about a man, Rajkumar, who finds solace in an inanimate doll that reminds him of his past girlfriend. Director Radhamohan, known for his previous films like "Mozhi" and "Kaatin Mozhi," explores the deep emotional connection Rajkumar forms with the doll, presenting it as a metaphor for healing inner pain caused by loss and loneliness.

SJ Surya delivers a captivating performance as Rajkumar, effectively portraying the character's tension, fear, desperation, and helplessness. While some moments may seem over-acted, Surya's performance fits well within the plot, especially in the climactic scenes where he displays a range of emotions on his face.

Priya Bhavani Shankar breathes life into the doll character, displaying remarkable acting skills through tears streaming down her immobile face and impassive expressions. Chandini also stands out with her excellent performance, despite having a smaller role in the film.

The film's director skillfully tells the story through a limited number of characters, allowing the plot to unfold naturally without unnecessary additions. Yuvan Shankar Raja's background score, particularly the use of the song "Divine ragam devitatha," adds a soft and enjoyable touch to the romantic moments, showcasing the everlasting appeal of Ilayaraja's music. The cinematography by Richard M. Nathan, with impressive close-up shots, enhances the overall visual experience.

Unfortunately, despite its compelling romantic build-up, " Bommai" " suffers from an uninteresting screenplay outside of the love scenes, making it dull and monotonous at times. The film relies heavily on the romance aspect, neglecting other elements such as a sloppy detective subplot involving the police department, which fails to add depth or suspense to the story.

Director Radhamohan portrays men in a negative light throughout the film, presenting women as the sole comfort for a man's existence. SJ Surya's character, for example, relies heavily on his mother, Priya Bhavani Shankar, and Chandini, with men being depicted as troublemakers and perpetrators of women's troubles. This unbalanced portrayal may leave some viewers feeling dissatisfied with the overall characterization and thematic exploration.

Furthermore, the plot built around the doll, which is the central element of the film, receives insufficient attention, resulting in an incomplete exploration of its potential. The screenplay lacks focus and fails to fully engage the audience beyond the love story, making it a missed opportunity to delve deeper into the intriguing concept of finding emotional solace in an inanimate object.

In conclusion, while " Bommai" " offers a compelling love story and notable performances, it falls short in terms of its screenplay, failing to fully capitalize on the plot's potential outside of the romantic moments. The unbalanced portrayal of male characters and the lack of attention given to the central plot surrounding the doll hinder the film from reaching its full potential.

Cinema Review Rating – 2.5 /5 ✫✫⋆

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ADIPURUSH Movie Review (Tamil) 

"Adipurush" is a highly anticipated movie that brings a beloved portion of the epic Ramayana to life using motion capture technology. The film stays true to the essence of the story, capturing the hearts of fans who are familiar with this tale from childhood. Director Om Rawat has taken on a special plot and beautifully displayed it on the screen, creating a memorable cinematic experience.

One of the standout elements of the film is the music. The score by Sanjit Balhara and Ankit Balhara is uplifting and enhances the storytelling. Songs like "Rama Sita Ram" and "Jhajal Malare" with music by Ajay-Atul and Chasset-Parampara are soul-stirring and add emotional depth to the narrative. The theme music of "Jaysreeram" is particularly remarkable, leaving a lasting impact throughout the film.

Keerthy Sanon delivers an impeccable performance as Sita, truly embodying the character. Her portrayal is captivating and adds depth to the emotional scenes. She stands out among the cast and leaves a lasting impression.

However, "Adipurush" falls short in some areas, especially when it comes to the graphics and animation. Despite the cautious team's efforts to improve the quality by investing additional funds, the animation still lacks the finesse and realism expected from a movie made using motion capture technology. The graphics resemble those seen in Hindi serials, which is disappointing given the film's high budget.

The fight scenes, including the opening fight between Sukrivan and Vali, as well as the scenes involving Ravana sitting on a giant bat, Rama Bridge construction, and Hanuman lifting the Sanjeevi mountain, should have been grandiose and visually stunning. However, the graphics fail to impress, with a video game-like quality that is only somewhat tolerable due to the film's 3D release. Moreover, it's disheartening to see scenes blatantly taken from Hollywood's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" without much originality or creativity.

Prabhas as Rama lacks the suitability for the character, with his stubbly mustache and rugged look not aligning with the traditional portrayal of Rama. His performance also falls flat, lacking emotional depth and variety in both the action and emotional scenes. Saif Ali Khan as Ravana starts off with an enjoyable portrayal, but it becomes monotonous and annoying as the film progresses, relying too heavily on a hoarse voice to establish his character.

Another aspect that disappoints is the lack of attention to detail in the costuming. The film fails to accurately represent the clothing worn in different lands and periods. Ravana and his courtiers are dressed like ancient Greek kings throughout the film, which seems out of place and inconsistent with the story's setting. Additionally, the depiction of Ravana with a step cut and trimmed beard is not aligned with any existing representation of the character.

Furthermore, the screenplay fails to engage the audience for the duration of the film. The pacing feels off, with too many songs, including ones for Ravana and Rama-Sita, in the first half hour, distracting from the story's progression. The lack of anticipation and excitement during the battle scenes is also notable, as the sloppy visuals fail to create a sense of tension or interest. The film could have benefited from a more engaging and tightly woven screenplay.

In conclusion, "Adipurush" falls short of expectations despite its ambitious attempt to bring a historical epic to the screen. While the music and Keerthy Sanon's performance are standout elements, the film lacks the visual finesse and engaging storytelling needed to fully captivate the audience. The weak visuals and questionable screenplay undermine the potential impact of this motion capture

Cinema Review Rating – 2 /5 ✫✫

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VEERAN Movie Review (Tamil)   

In director Saravanan's "Veeran," we are introduced to Kumaran (Hiphop Tamizha Adhi), a resident of Veeranur village who was struck by lightning as a child. Following the incident, Kumaran's father sends him to Singapore for further treatment, as he loses consciousness. After about 16 years, Kumaran returns to Veeranur, but he is not the same person who left. The lightning strike has endowed him with superpowers.

Kumaran discovers that he possesses the ability to control other people's minds using his lightning-based powers. Meanwhile, a villain named Vinay arrives in Veeranur with a grand plan involving a laser cable project that poses a threat to many lives. The villagers protest against Vinay's scheme. The story revolves around whether Vinay's plan will succeed and if Kumaran can stop him, ultimately saving his town and its people.

"Veeran" directed by Saravanan takes us into a world of superhero fantasy. Unlike many superhero films where the heroes gradually discover their special powers, Kumaran becomes aware of his abilities early on through his dreams. The execution of the story is well done, and it is convincing to see Kumaran using his powers to control the minds of others.

Although the climax scene could have received a bit more attention, the comedy scenes featuring Munishkanth, Kali Venkat, and others are enjoyable and add a lighthearted touch to the film.

Hiphop Tamizha Adhi delivers a believable performance as the superhero Kumaran. Adira Raj also does a commendable job in their role. It would have been beneficial to portray Vinay, the villain, as a more formidable character. The music by Hiphop Tamizha serves as a suitable companion to the film.

"Veeran" offers an entertaining experience and takes viewers into the world of superheroes. Hiphop Tamila Adi's portrayal as the superhero is convincing, and the film showcases some enjoyable comedy scenes. While the climax scene could have been improved, overall, "Veeran" is a film worth watching.

In conclusion, "Veeran" provides an enjoyable experience, and I would recommend it to viewers.

Cinema Review Rating – 2.8 /5 ✫✫✫

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TAKKAR Movie Review (Tamil) 

In director Karthik G's "Takkar," we are introduced to Krish Gunasekaran (Siddharth), a teenager who firmly believes that money is the key to living a respectable life in this world. From the beginning, the director establishes the importance of money to the protagonist. Krish arrives in Chennai with the ambition to earn and become rich, but he struggles to find a place where he can work without compromising his personality. Eventually, he becomes a cab driver.

Meanwhile, the film also portrays gangs involved in anti-social activities and the illicit trade of young women for profit. Through a series of events, Krish finds himself crossing paths with one such gang. This encounter presents him with an opportunity to earn a significant amount of money. However, complications arise when his vehicle is damaged, jeopardizing his work.

At a point where Krish feels like his life is falling apart, he meets Lucky (Divyansha Kaushik), an incredibly wealthy woman who believes that money is the root of all problems in life. The story revolves around how Krish and Divyansha's lives improve beyond the constraints imposed by money and social status.

The director's portrayal of two characters with contrasting views on money and life is intriguing. However, the screenplay falls short in certain aspects. The narrative appears crowded with many events occurring simultaneously, resulting in a rapid succession of different emotions such as action, romance, and comedy every ten minutes. It feels as though a wide range of emotions has been forcefully incorporated.

Siddharth shoulders the film with his performance, while the comedy sequences in the second half lack the desired impact. Yogibabu's one-liners are not consistently effective, and Divyansha Kaushik's role doesn't provide much scope for her acting abilities.

On a positive note, Nivas Prasanna's music is commendable. Those who approach the film without any particular expectations will likely enjoy "Takkar." However, for viewers seeking a more cohesive and balanced experience, the film may fall within familiar territory.

Overall, "Takkar" offers an interesting exploration of contrasting perspectives on money and life, with Siddharth delivering a noteworthy performance. While the screenplay could have been more refined, the film has its merits, and Nivas Prasanna's music adds to its appeal.

Cinema Review Rating – 2.5 /5 ✫✫⋆

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