Two Line Reviews - #477

Movie: Moondru Per, Moondru Kaadhal (Thamizh, 2013)

Plot: In Ooty,a guy loves a girl who he helps get a job in his father's firm. He finds it tough to restrain even when he comes to know she is engaged to be married to someone else. In Tuticorin, a girl falls in love with a man who corrects things in her family and works with all his heart for a social cause but fails to evoke any response from him. In Chennai, an aspiring Olympic swimmer wannabe and her coach are madly in love with each other and a calamitous accident puts their joint olympic dreams in jeopardy. The film compares how different and contrasting love can be!

What Works?

• When it comes to a Vasanth film, dialogues will be a major highlight and this one has its set of them; Most of them scattered among the 3 stories.
• The idea is quite novel (novel like too, like in many Vasanth films) and the subtle way of pointing out distinct differences across the stories is intelligent.
• Yuvan's songs are marvelous (Aaha Kaadhal, Kaadhal Endhan Kaadhal, Unakkaagave etc.) but all haven't been aptly placed in the film and that sort of brings its effect down. On a lighter note, Yuvan could have sung the line 'Touched by an angel' a lot better :)
• The camerawork goes around with the characters and in not trying to be showman-like, it works!
• Cheran, Arjun have done delightfully well. So have their partners.

What Doesn't?

• 'Half-baked' is the first term that comes to mind thinking of all the stories. Vimal's portion lacks purpose; Cheran's lacks Love & Arjun's lacks conviction & the climax tying things is a dampener.

Vasanth doesn't exactly weave his magic this time around!

Two Line Reviews - #439

Movie: Kumki (Thamizh, 2012)

Plot: A staunchly traditional village is ravaged by a Tusker which is expected to kill more villagers during the harvest season. A temple elephant is forced to shadow the delay in arrival of a 'kumki' bodyguard elephant the villagers contract. When its mahout falls to love in first sight with a village damsel, the stay extends and brings sleepless nights!

What Works?

• For the idea of trying to create an interesting love film around an unusual 'elephant guarded forest' sort of a setup, Prabu Solomon can be appreciated. But the execution? To that, later.
• The role of debutant Vikram, Son of Prabhu is slightly sidelined. His is neither an impressive show nor a dud. Lakshmi Menon is pretty impressive and could do well to her fledgling career. The Villagers play their role well and Thambi Ramiah as usual performs the role of bringing bursts of laughter in us.
• D.Imman's music (though it reminds of his earlier works) is appreciable in songs as well as re-recording.
• The film is a visual spectacle thanks to some wonderful and strenuous camera work and choice of locations! CG work is adequate and whoever did it knew their limitations, which was good to see.

What Doesn't?

• Execution disappoints! The film wavers between this and that; What starts off as a promising tale around an elephant moves to a romance tale (which is quite shoddily told).
• The prime characters aren't defined well: The hero is shown selfish to the core for his 4-day love!(never shown to bother about the danger he puts his elephant into); The heroine, who is shown to come from such a community wouldn't fall for someone outside JUST LIKE THAT.

The first hour promises a lot! What follows lets you down.

Two Line Reviews - #368

Movie: Kazhugu (Thamizh,2012)

Plot: A group of 4 men earn their livelihood by recovering the bodies suicide victims off the valleys in Kodaikanal and one loner in the lot experiences love when the sister of a victim falls for him. When all is about to go well, the witness of the group on a death case involving bodies of policemen earns the wrath of a local goon who comes for their blood.

Highlights:

• The debutant director Sathya Siva makes a good start with this film that doesn't go overboard on any of the aspects even when such plots offer temptation for the same. Efforts of his technical team too deserve a mention for helping in doing it neatly.
• Yuvan's songs are the biggest draw for the film and the director gives justice to them by picturising them (The wonderful melodies Paadhagathi & Aathadi in particular) pretty well ( Another reason why he appears to be a good prospect; A director who films his songs well seldom ends up a failure in ktown!).
• Krishna has understood his options, limitations and has given a good performance saving his best for the last; Offering him good support are Karunaas, heroine Bindhumadhavi & Jayaprakash(who fits perfectly to any role he is given these days)
• The biggest show-stealer is Thambi Ramiah. His histrionics are absolutely enjoyable - Be it his expressions in humour,dialogue delivery and sentimental scenes - he thoroughly impresses! His effort in Aambalaikum pombalaikum song is a screamer!

• However, the screenplay is bland, and every second scene is predictable (Perhaps the reason why it doesn't create as big an impact as it wanted to) as the film safely follows tried and tested by Bala.

A neat film that follows the 'Bala template'!