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

Two Line Reviews - #356

Movie: Kaadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Eppadi (Thamizh, 2012)

Plot: The love affair of a B.E. studying duo literally breaks with a hit on the hero's forehead! That's when he gets into the retrospective mode offering pies of advice when his friend attempts to indulge in a love -trip.Simple things get blown out of proportion and big issues get solved before a wink and the mystery that shrouds around is let to stay the way it is.

Highlights:

• The film-debut of Balaji Mohan, the maker of the short with the same title shows he is quite intelligent; He has interspersed two of his short-film tales with a solid camera-facing narrative that makes him a welcome addition.
• Siddharth is casual and effortless and impresses with the way he carries himself and the role in the film; a solid run in Thamizh this guy deserves.
• With her pretty costumes and a nice hair-do, Amala Paul is a delightful eye-candy and more, thanks to a decent show with her action.
• Experimental shots, songs, boy-girl scenes, the curious friend who throws superb humour at places are positive factors too. 

• The negative that is to be pointed out comes in the form of a 'sodhappal' handling of the Suresh saga towards its end! Mockery..
• The SS music VJ who plays John & his Thamizh accent irritate to the core.

• Songs aren't impressive in an otherwise catchy film.

Breezy light-hearted entertainer!

Two Line Reviews - #340

Movie: Vettai (Thamizh, 2012)

Plot: A tale of two brothers in which the meeker elder one becomes a police and uses the bravado of his younger sibling to nab and keep a check on the local rowdy factions.  When the villains get to know of the team play, they target the soft guy who, after a dose of goonda-beating and inspiring brother-talk, joins his thambi to finish the rowdies off completely. In between, the brothers are fortunate enough to get a dashing sister duo to give them some romantic company!

Positives:

• The casting and the usage of the main 4 is what the director Lingusamy scores with. He uses them quite well in this oft-repeated intentioanal & non-intentiaonal funny script.
• Arya's timing in comedy, his looks & costumes make him score well in the film; Madhavan has not tried to indulge in any form of image build-up/protection (a smart move) and that has paid off well for him. He seriously needs to rediscover his neck and reduce his waistline if he wants to continue acting as a hero!
• The sister duo - Sameera Reddy & Amala Paul form a dashing sister pair.Right from their intro song till the very end, they keep the viewer engaged whenever they are on screen.
• Passable stunts by Silva, some touchy scenes to evoke fun and twist expected cliches are other pluses.

Negatives:

• Worrisome negative is the form Yuvan is in. Songs were already dreary; The background music is repeated probably 129 times (and that too is a slower version of the 'Villadhi Villaingal' song bit from Rajapaatai). Only positive way of looking at it - He's saving his best for Billa-2!
• The serious scenes (thanks to Madhavan's acrobaticism or the lack of it & Arya's voice modulation) end up becoming extremely funny
• The 'America Maapilai' and his accent are irritating to the core.

Acceptably funny.