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| There have been many films in the past which have used the universal theme of friendship to reach out to audiences even without the presence of any stars. Vaada Poda Nanbargal also looks to travel along the same path. The difference here being that the two friends have not seen each other; their friendship starts from the current generation’s favourite online hobby – the chat, and grows through other modes of telecommunication like the mobile phone etc. The director must be acknowledged for being very contemporary here. But, what good is an online friendship, one might ask. How much faith and connection would such friends have in each other? This friendship too is like that to start with. But, a fortunate turn of events, thanks to technology and photo sharing, makes one of them regain something very valuable in his life which makes him greatly indebted to his friend. That is where the bind gets stronger. But, an online friendship, does have its own limitations. The very technology that made them friends in the first place also plays spoilsport; online identities which are far removed from real life; and threatens to mar the relationship, again through a thoroughly unexpected sequence of events. At the outset, the premise does look interesting – friends who have never seen each other! This kind of concept has worked before; except it was not about friends, but lovers. Here the director fails to create the same suspense or magic which goes with a very strong relationship where the people involved have not seen each other. Part of the reason for that is the sequence of events in the script. A linear pattern of narration makes the goings on very plain. Also, the director has not been able to make the audience feel the depth of the friendship which works against the movie. More importantly, the sequence of events which leads to the strengthening of the friendship looks far too serendipitous to digest easily. Likewise, the event that leads to the final face off also looks a bit trivial; a matter of stretching a minor quarrel too far. Another major drawback of the film is the failure to build effective characters sketches of any of the protagonist. Even though the film shows the daily personal lives of both the friends, the sequences look disjointed, fragmented and ultimately have very little bearing on the friendship and ultimately the plot. Most of the parts where the script wanders out of the friendship track and into the personal lives of the protagonists can be considered as pretty inconsequential portions of the film. On the whole, it is a script that lacks cohesion that has spoilt the party for Vaada Poda Nanbargal. The film does give the look and feel of one that has been brought out by a bunch of newcomers. They have tried hard, no doubt, but have failed to reach the professional level of film making. Almost all departments, camera, editing, re-recording, are a notch below what would be considered par in Kollywood at present. The fresh faces on screen too have not made a great impression, though one cannot fault the earnestness of their attempts. Music by debutante Siddharth also does not stand the movie in any great stead. Vaada Poda Nanbargal is an account of two friends which fails due to a general lack of focus in the script. | |||||||||
Thursday, April 7, 2011
VAADA PODA NANBARGAL MOVIE REVIEW
YUDHAM SEI MOVIE REVIEW
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| J K (Cheran) is the honest CB-CID officer who is distressed when his sister Charu goes missing suddenly. When he is about to resign his job on her search, his superior hands him a sensational and a high profile assignment that requires untangling a case wherein severed and neatly packed body parts are continuously found in strategic places in the city. This trail takes Cheran to various people and places, and the link to his sister, culminating in many unprecedented twists and turns on the way. What works for Yudham Sei is its linear narration and effective screen play. There are no unwanted elements in the form of comedy tracks or romantic angles. Mysskin has veered clear off the expected syntax of Tamil films of such genre. He has handled this subject with a few forensic aspects thrown in. The larger part of the film keeps the audience guessing and in suspense. He has also managed to tell his story with little known artists which requires appreciation. In the performance department, brevity seems to be the key word with Cheran who scores by delivering a subtle portrayal. Jayaprakash gives him good support, although appearing for a short while. Y Gee Mahendra, a tonsured Lakshmi Ramakrishna, Dipa Shah, Selva and Naren form part of the supporting cast and provide the necessary foil. Under newcomer Kay’s music, Kannitheevu Penna alone finds its place in the film where the much talked about ‘Yellow sari’ clad Neetu Chandra cavorts with Ameer and ‘blink and you miss’ Charu Niveditha. Mysskin tries to duck the complaint of this particular cliché of his by placing a relevant incident at the end of the ditty. Kay’s RR is sometimes perfect, delivering the right kind of mood for the film whereas in a few sequences it stands out obtrusively. Sathyan’s prying camera peeps, thrills, and gives the needed feel. A genre such as this should have a frenzied pace to keep the viewer on the edge of the seat but Mysskin misses the bus here with a languorous mode of unfolding events. This could work for an emotional drama but a certain amount of pace which is required for thrillers is a casualty in YS. Besides that, the climax scene is the antithesis of all the tone and mood that was set in the entire film with characters behaving in a dramatic and non-Mysskinish manner. | |||||||||
THOONGA NAGARAM MOVIE REVIEW
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| performers like Vimal (Kalavani fame), Bharani (Nadodigal fame), Nishanth (Renigunta fame), Anjali (Angadi Theru fame) who have proved their mettle. With the popular brand of the producer and a young cast, Thoonganagaram aroused everyone’s curiosity and expectations. As the title suggests, the film is set in Madurai. This film too has the basic premise of friendship like some of its predecessors. Kanna (Vimal), Aiyavu (Bharani), Maari (Nishanth) and Rajamani (Gaurav) are youngsters who get acquainted one night at the bar, become drinking buddies and before we know, they are swearing their lives for each other. Kanna finds love in his childhood sweetheart Kalaivani (played by Anjali) who is a local TV artist. Trouble begins when Kanna locks horns with two miscreants who are up to some very despicable things. What starts off as a scuffle, develops into a major issue with more people and power getting involved. How does the foursome face up to this? The movie has a plot which can claim novelty but it is a bit tiresome to see yet another film based on Madurai and four friends who are thick as thieves. Despite being set in Madurai, the film steers clear of excessive violence and is a mix of comedy, romance and action. Gaurav proves himself a good director by bringing out decent performances from the lead cast as well as the supporting cast which largely consists of the local people. Coming to the performances, Vimal, Bharani, Gaurav and Anjali have done well and are apt for their roles. Nishanth, who has played the role of the speech-impaired Maari manages to convey his emotions perfectly just with his eyes and facial expressions. Though characters reminds us of those in Nadodigal and other Madurai films, the cast of Thoonganagaram has brought about freshness through their portrayal. What plays spoilsport in this potential entertainer is the addition of excessive sub plots and songs. The first half has about three songs and the main plot unravels only in the second half. There is a flashback of Kanna and Kalaivani’s childhood which is totally unnecessary and hinders the flow of the already slow paced film. Cinematography by Vijay Ulaganathan is good and brings out the essence of Madurai. There is a particular long shot of a mountain captured in the mild showers of the night, which showcases the cinematographer’s talent. Music by Sundar.C.Babu is good but does not linger on with the exception of the song Kalyanam Kalyanam which is very peppy. On the whole, this film is engaging in certain parts and has good performances from all the actors. The film would have been crisper and better if the focus was more on the main plot. | |||||||||
PAYANAM MOVIE REVIEW
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| of Radha Mohan stand out is that he has laced the action/thriller with humor. A passenger flight which includes an actor, a doctor, a politician, a priest among others is being kidnapped by a group of terrorists who force the plane to be taken to Rawalpindi but as fate would have it, the plane lands in Tirupathi due to engine failure. Negotiations begin between the government and the terrorists who demand the release of Yousf Khan, a dreaded terrorist in jail. Vishwanath (Prakash Raj), the bureaucrat negotiating on behalf of the government and Major Ravindra (Nagarjuna) the commando for rescue operations land in the fray along with other senior bureaucrats. Meanwhile the government decides to release the terrorist and he is being brought to Tirupathi. Rest of Payanam is about how this hijack and rescue drama is brought to an end with interesting events dotting its path. Payanam unfolds rather slowly and takes its time to garner momentum. However from the moment, Nagarjuna takes control of the affairs, it picks up pace with an impressive last 20 minutes that elevates the suspense quotient. Through various sequences Radha Mohan brings out the typical bureaucratic procrastinations, the irresponsibility of the press to go to any length to sensationalize an issue and the loopholes in the system. On the emotional side, he showcases the latent and impotent anger in common citizen and the diverse mindsets of people caught in such a situation in a realistic manner. Radha Mohan takes digs at the film world wherever he gets a chance and they are indeed hilarious. Gnanavel’s dialogues lean more on levity which earns applause in places. Nagarjuna after a long gap in Tamil films, appears as the National Security Guard and brings out a neat portrayal along with Bharath Reddy. Prakash Raj as the helpless bureaucrat Vishwanath fits his role. Among the various passengers, the ones who stand out in performance is Thalaivasal Vijay followed by Kumaravel and Chaams. Bhramanandam as the film director impresses with his small cameo and the artist who doubles up as Yusuf Khan is amazing. Chaams as the ardent fan of actor Chandrakanth (Prithviraj) brings the roof down with his adulation and expectations of the star and the way he mouths his hero’s punch dialogues. Later on the scorn on his face on realizing his matinee idol is after all a worthless normal man is brilliant. There are no songs in the film and Praveen Mani’s RR brings out the desired mood. Art director Kathir needs a special mention to have recreated Tirupathi airport and the authentic interiors of the plane. Cinematographer Guhan’s camera works in tandem with the mood of the film with his right kind of angles and lighting. It is strange to note that, few passengers seem to enjoy the hijack drama and do not show any kind of anxiety towards what is happening. One may also wonder whether the hijackers would be lenient enough to allow a mimicry session on board in the midst of an event of such a serious proportion. Although humor shares equal space with action and suspense, a slight swaying on the lighter side dilutes the serious effect a wee bit which could have been taken care of. | |||||||||
NANDHI MOVIE REVIEW
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| have a part to play, but nothing of great significance, just an excuse for the director to make the hero and heroine cross paths for love to eventually blossom. Set, in rural Tamil Nadu (which no longer remains a novelty), Nandhi traces the love story of a typical village couple as it goes through all the ups and downs that one associates with falling in love. The ups and downs that the couple faces are not the routine parent-society-wealth-status-caste issues that occur and recur so often in Tamil cinema. For a change, the parents are happy and willingly consent the couple’s love and there is no ‘nattamai’ to stand in the way of smooth progress. Trouble comes in the form of another person who just can’t stand the thought of a girl from his village being married to a boy from the neighbouring village. Does he succeed in throwing a spanner in the works? Understanding the evergreen appeal of the emotion love, a film based on that always stands a chance with the audience and the team of Nandhi seems to have banked on this while making their film. While it is a good thing that a lot of the predictability is removed director Thamizhvaanan should have taken enough care to ensure that the alternate hurdle that he had envisaged for the love story had enough credibility to carry the film on its shoulders. It is in this aspect that he has failed big time. There is neither proper reason nor explanation given to the antagonists fuming anger towards the couple in love. Further, it is illogical as to how just one person is able to stand up so strongly against the couple (who have the whole village backing them) and not be spoken against. All this lands a big blow to the central plot and weakens the movie. The love story does not captivate you; it looks just like one of many village-side romances we have seen over the past couple of years. The director has also tried to infuse a bit of comedy here and there through Singampuli, but that too leaves a feeble impact. Performances always depend on the scope offered by the script and so there is nothing great to write home about. Akhil is still looking for an opportunity that will do justice to the potential that was unearthed by Balaji Shakthivel in Kalloori. Sanusha is starting to look more like a heroine than a child artiste, but still has a long way to go. There are very few other faces in the cast that stay in your mind. The technical aspects too do not go far above the standards of the central plot. Bharadwaj’s music tries to salvage some points for the movie, but overall gives you a feeling of déjà vu. Camera strictly captures the images and does nothing more impressive. Only the stunts translate some energy onto the screen. Nandhi is just another village love story that does not stand out for any of its aspects. Overall, there is a feel of shoddy treatment and lackadaisical handling of the entire film making process, without an eye for detail. The end product is one that will not stay in your minds for any length of time. | |||||||||
THAMBIKOTTAI MOVIE REVIEW
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| necessary ingredients of a mainstream commercial flick which are not devoid of innumerable predecessors in the industry. Meena, a college professor, is the doting elder sister of Naren who is still a college student. Just like any other siblings of such films, they mean the world to each other and are the epitome of love and affection. There are enough maudlin moments in the film to emphasize their affection. Naren desires to go to a place called Thambikottai on an NSS trip but a shocked Meena is not in favor of this. However Naren leaves for the village and spots Poonam Bajwa and you guessed it right, it is love at first sight. Again, on a very very predictable track, Poonam is the daughter of the villain ‘Nan Kadavul’ Rajendran. As it is the syntax of every such masala fare, Rajendran plays spoilsport to Naren-Poonam’s love, thrashes Naren and sends him back to Chennai where his sister Meena reveals in the flashback mode about Thambikottai and Rajendran. The answers to what happens in Thambikottai and whether Poonam and Naren’s love succeeds are narrated in the rest of Thambikottai. Naren after Anjaadhe makes his appearance in a Tamil film and this time around, his monumental exercise in hero building comes to the fore with a power packed intro scene. Poonam Bajwa, after having tried ‘homely’ looks, sheds that for a more glamorous image. Prabhu does his usual antics and there is nothing to write home about. If there is someone whose performance stands out, it is Sangeetha who does a ‘sornakkaa’ act, mouthing punch dialogues and law quotes with élan. Santhanam and M S Bhaskar take charge of comedy department where a few scenes evoke the desired effect. It is in fact the trio of Sangeetha, Santhanam and Bhaskar make the audience stay in theatres a bearable one. In Imman’s music ‘Vaa pillai, naan un maapillai’ is humworthy. There is nothing voluble about the rest of the technical department. Many scenes in the film give you a ‘déjà vu’ feel and the director, travelling on a beaten track, does not give you any anxious moments to rack your brains to wonder what is going to happen next. Ramesh tries to pack most of the ‘must have’s of a masala film resulting in an unexciting product. | |||||||||
NADUNISI NAAYGAL REVIEW
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| Having said that, NN is the story of a boy, who has been a victim of child abuse, and the havoc he causes to women. Samar, an eight-year-old motherless boy lives with his father in Mumbai who leads a colorful life indulging in orgy. Samar gets subjected to sexual abuse by his father and is rescued by his neighbor, a middle aged single woman Meenakshi Amma who names him Veera, takes him under her wings and protects him. Daunted and chased by the ghosts of his painful past, what Veera does becomes the trigger of all things to follow in the rest of the film. Although the issue of child abuse has been dealt in Kaadal Kondein, Achchamundu Achchamundu etc., Gautham has managed to tread this subject in a subtle but at the same time, in a dignified fashion. The way he has picturized the scene where Veera comes to Meenakshi Amma for an emotional succor which takes on a different shape later is highly balanced and even a slight slip could have completely disfigured the vision. He has brought in the pain, shock, confusion, vulnerability, helplessness and succumbing to the inevitable in brilliant manner through the artistes. Swapna as Meenakshi Amma, looking like a combination of Konkana Sen Sharma and yesteryear actress Shoba, scores heavily in this sequence. Newcomer Veerabahu as Veera dishes out a neat performance as someone suffering from delusion. Although there are occasions where he tends to overdo, his overall act deserves plaudits. His voice adds to his character which is docile at times and menacing sometimes. Sameera Reddy makes her appearance just before the interval and brings out the right emotions trying to escape from the psychopath and the Rottweilers. Deva as the ACP looks too young, fresh from college but passes muster. It is normal to amplify the effects in such a psychological thriller through music but Gautham has done away with that and the absence of music is never felt anywhere at all. Manoj Paramahamsa’s camera angles and his lighting sensibilities enhance the feel of NN. The shot where the 8-year-old Samar emerges from the gate as 13-year boy is noteworthy. Manoj’s camera conveys more than words in crucial sequences. Anthony, as usual, has used his scissors well to bring out a crisp but coherent product. Despite the subject being heavy and difficult to stomach, Gautham has the perfect grip on his screenplay as well as on his audience. The film is engaging right through and the desire of wanting to know ‘what next’ propels it in a uniform pace. The director should also be applauded for not bowing down to any cinematic syntax. Perhaps, being a producer has helped him in this domain. The fact that there's no music or soundtrack is never felt during the course of the movie, thanks to the tight screenplay. There are times when NN reminds you of Balu Mahendra’s Azhiyaada Kolangal and Moodupani when the young man feels extremely possessive about the older woman. Gautham has also rendered a social message and has cautioned women through a dialogue of Veera which says that women are generally intelligent but they can easily be taken for a ride through social networking sites. Let's get the facts right. Nadunisi Naaygal is a dark movie and there's no point fretting about the movie's nature since the genre demands certain gloominess, that is well presented by Gautham. Congrats Gautham for the brave attempt to drive home a socially relevant point in a dignified manner. You have done the tightrope walking quite efficiently! | |||||||||
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