Friday, August 7, 2015

Review #497 : Velai Illaa Pattadhaari (2014)

Velai Illaa Pattadhaari Movie Review

Plot: A Civil engineering graduate is resolute on getting into a job on his line of study. To keep the resolve going he has to resist a barrage of insults from family members & his own bruised ego. When guilt consumes him as his mother dies, his dream project comes in the form of a gift from his dead mother & he goes all out to deliver the project successfully in spite of venomous hurdles of power.

What Works?
  • It is Dhanush's milestone film (25th) & director Velraj delivers a package that fans of the actor will not be disappointed with. He has succeeded in providing mindless entertainment
  • Dhanush uses his commendable screen presence to good effect & the witty one-liners add to the comedy which comes naturally to the actor
  • The family bondage has been dealt with quite well & would be nostalgic bringing a smile on the viewers' faces(Sound of a plastic ball in Motta maadi cricket as an example)
  • Supporting cast has come up with a solid showing thanks to Saranya(though her enjoying her son's fight with gundas is a huge tamil cinema mother stereotype), Samuthirakani, Amala Paul, Vivekh
  • The director handles the cinematography as well & so the sync between those departments is evident. Editing deserves a mention for the scenes when the halted project gets restarted
  • Anirudh scores with his inspiring background music providing nice bits suiting occasions in the film themed differently
What Doesn't?
  • The film doesn't seem to take itself seriously & the second half takes us straight back to Rajinikanth films from the 80s which fed on victimising villains with the rich/poor divide. There is even a disgusting racist dialogue (one that terms the villain a 'white' pig)
  • Anirudh's songs fall flat (save Amma Amma & the title song) because of their semblance with those from his earlier films, because of a seeming low effort put in them, because of their irrelevance to their placement in the film
In a Nutshell:
VIP has all ingredients to quench the thirst of Dhanush's fans but in the process of offering entertainment, it takes a trip back to the 80s commercial genre.

Graduates, but not at ease

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