The golden period of Tamil cinema is here!
4 Movies, 4 Genres, 4 Stories and so, here's 4 Reviews...
#1
CCV Movie Review
Here's the review of much-awaited action movie of the year
2018...
Now-a-days, Gangster movies are deserving a special
attention!
What was your reaction, when you heard that Mani Sir will be
doing a Gangster movie with star-cast comprising Arvind Swamy, STR, Arun Vijay,
Vijay Sethupathi, Prakash Raj, and many more?
The expectations should have went somewhere, out of
Exosphere!
Has the expectations met?
Did Mani Sir give a comeback??
Is it a blockbuster???
Hope so!
Plot
In short and sweet, Three brothers fight for the throne, and
Who got it finally?
The movie answers this straight forward question with lot of
twist and turns in an engaging way, through a 143-minute action-packed
entertainer!!!
Review
Mani Sir
One of the legendary directors in the Indian Film industry.
He is an artistic director and never compromise with his art
and love for cinema.
His movies teach us a lot, will take us to the other world
and engage us throughout the end.
His direction is commendable and managed to pull off this
money-minting blockbuster!
The biggest strength of this film is its technical crew and
the cast.
He has given equal space for all the male leads to perform
without any partiality.
His direction is flawless and yet, a small worry is that,
this particular film could not be felt either by heart or mind!
I felt like 'Something is missing', Mani Sir's magic is
missing, unlike his previous masterpieces like Uyire, Bombay, Roja, Kannathil
Muthamittaal and so on...
The trailer should not have come, as it made the movie more
predictable.
There was no room for emotions except in one scene where
Ethi begs his mother to be with him, and the romance portions were good only
between Senapathi and his wife, but not with the remaining pairs.
Some of the dialogues were good and enjoyable like
"Avanoda Punngai romba Kooramiya irundhuchu (His smile was sharp [like
knife])", "College Princy kitta maatikitaa maadhiri (Caught
red-handed by College Principal)", etc.
Good writing from both Mani Sir and Siva Ananth!
The lyrics was found to be highly interactive with the
screenplay in many sequences!
Some of the instances are, When Senapathi dies of
heart-attack, the lyrics at the backdrop was "Idhaiyam Thaangumaa (Will
Heart bear it?)" and When Chaaya's (Ethi's wife) coffin was placed in the
pit, the lyrics went on like, "Pirindhen, Pirindhen (Separated,
Separated)".
Mani Sir has done his job perfectly and entertained us with
this performance-lit action drama!
Thanks Mani Sir for the visual treat!!!
AR Rahman
He is the real hero of this movie.
From the beginning of the film, till the end, Rahman Sir
carried the entire film on his shoulders.
His Background score was priceless and drove the movie along
with it.
"Bhoomi Bhoomi", "Sevandhu Pochu Nenje"
and the flute version of "Bhoomi Bhoomi" were played at the
background of almost every scenes, that fit in nicely with the screenplay, as I
mentioned earlier.
The Tabla BGM in the red-light area fight scene, and the
violin behind the chasing scene involving Ethi and a sniper were pleasing to
our ears.
Sakthisree Gopalan's rendition was priceless!
The songs were chart-busters already, and the surprise
tracks like "Hayati" and "Praaptham" were placed
beautifully.
Sound Mixing team were too supportive to Rahman Sir, as they
produced very intense sounds like iphone's touch sound, gun shots throughout the
movie, especially two gun shots heard at the backdrop during the flashback
narrated by Rasool.
This film would have been like 'Fill in the blanks' without
Rahman Sir's music.
Santhosh Sivan
He should have been the first person to see this blockbuster
(through his camera).
The climax sequence is the best example to show his
dedication towards this movie.
The close-up shots came out well.
Each and every frame was very bright and colorful, and in a
particular scene, When Varadhan asks to put the lights off, there, lighting
team used the powerful beams of cars to illuminate the frame, which the camera
lens captured superbly.
An another frame, where Varadhan and his girlfriend look at
each other, one upstairs and the other downstairs remembered the epic scene
from the movie 'Bombay', where the same Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala
exchange their looks.
Amazing work from the legendary cinematographer!
Sreekar Prasad
Sreekar did his job well, as we didn't feel any lags or
bored anywhere.
Mani Sir should have forced the editor to trim the scenes at
various instances, like Ethi's intro, "Mazhai Kuruvi" song and so on,
in order to trim the run-time of the film.
So, We couldn't see some beautiful visuals captured by
Santhosh Sivan's camera.
Cast
Arvind Swamy as Varadhan
He is the eldest son of Senapathi,who looks after his
father's possession.
He is man of feelings, who is ferocious to his enemies,
romantic to his girlfriend, and affectionate towards his wife and children.
His body language is well-suited to his character and he did
justice to his role.
Arun Vijay as Thyagu
He is the second son of Senapathi, doing a hi-fi business in
Dubai with Sheikhs.
His creed for his father's throne was portrayed well
on-screen, as he always love to relax himself on his father's couch.
He is very stylish, emotional and brainy, who is
affectionate towards his wife.
His role in the movie can be placed next to his career-best
role as Victor in Gautham Menon's movie 'Yennai Arinthaal'.
STR as Ethi
He is the youngest son of Senapathi, who deals with illegal
weapon trade in Serbia.
He doesn't seems to have acted in the movie, as if he lived
the role.
He has got a cool attitude, who doesn't fear to take any
risks in life.
He is one of the pillars of the movie.
Vijay Sethupathi as Rasool
He is the best friend of Varadhan, since his childhood, who
knows everything about Senapathi's family.
He is a cop by profession, who is executing 'Operation Red
Sky', that makes up the movie.
He can be considered as the best male lead among the four!
Prakash Raj as Senapathi
He is the don of the city, who masterminds the major crimes
of the city.
He looks after his business and family like his eyes.
He is the most-loved person in his family and deserves a big
respect (result of fear) in the society.
He shines with his role, like how he has done in his
previous Mani Sir's films.
Jyothika as Chitra
Finally, she got a chance to do a role in Mani Sir's film.
She is the wife of Varadhan.
Since, she is one of the members of Senapathi's family, she
could easily adapt herself to the heat of the situation.
She knows everything, that, a Gangster should know, like, in
one particular scene, she warns her husband to be careful with the open window,
as the enemy can fire at him anytime.
She added enough emotions to her role.
Dayana Erappa as Chaaya
She is the most blessed one in this crew, for making her
acting debut in this movie!
She is the lover-turned-wife of Ethi.
Her expressions were so cute, especially, in her very first
scene, where she raises her eyebrows and looks at Ethi,
The dubbing artist for Chaaya did an amazing job!
She has a great journey ahead in her career...
Aditi Rao Hydari as Parvathi
She is a reporter and she has an affair with Varadhan.
After Kaatru Veliyidai, she continues her run for Mani Sir.
Her role was short and sweet one.
She did it as such how it was sketched.
Aishwarya Rajesh as Renu
She is the wife of Thyagu.
She is such a talented actress, but, I don't know, why Mani
Sir didn't utilize her properly?
She didn't have a big scope in this movie.
She was wasted!
Supporting cast
Jayasudha as Lakshmi
She is the wife of Senapathi.
She is an apt choice to do this role!
Thiagarajan as Chinnappadasan
He is the rival of Senapathi.
I haven't seen his movies earlier, but I feel that he is no
less than any.
His body language and slang was interesting to watch out
for.
Mansoor Ali Khan should have been very happy to get a role
in this movie!
Lyrics
Vairamuthu Sir's lyrics were soothing and the shocking fact
is that these lyrics were written some years back!
Mani Sir-ARR-Vairamuthu, this combo should come up with more
films...
Stunts
The fighting sequences were realistic, but there were more
guns blazing than physical touches here.
Good job, Dhilip master!
Overall, this movie can be watched as many times for 100%
guaranteed entertainment!
Blurb: A sound film from Mani Sir!!!
#2`
Pariyerum Perumal Review
Kurinji flowers bloom once in 12 years, and Pariyerum
Perumal is the Kurinji of Indian Cinema..!
Plot
What happens, When someone tries to push a ball into the
water?
Certainly, it comes up, right?
That's the plot experimentally!
Review
Director
Welcome to the Indian cinema, Mari Selvaraj!
A dream debut for a sincere assistant of my favorite
Director Ram!
The final frame of the movie was enough to show his
brilliance and dedication towards the film...
He converted his thoughts into magical frames on-screen.
Each and every characters in this movie were sketched
prefectly, especially the characters like father of protoganist and the
antoganist!
Every songs were pictured with striking visuals, especially
"Karuppi" and "Naan Yaar".
He also showed the attitude of High and Low people as such,
that made us to feel disgusting and pity.
This particular subject should be spoken loud and Mari
shouted out at the right time through this unforgettable movie!
A movie should not only entertain, but also make us feel and
Mari succeeded in that aspect in his very first film itself!
I am damn sure that Mari Selvaraj is going to scale bigger
altitudes in his career!!!
All the Best, Sir!
A heart-felt thanks to Pa.Ranjith for producing this epic
under his banner 'Neelam Productions'..!
Music Director
Santhosh Narayanan
He is the technical hero of the movie.
His BGM elevates the film.
The songs were very apt for the movie.
Firstly, I heard the song "Karuppi" and started to
listen again and again...
After watching the film, I fell in love with every songs of
the movie!
The placement of the song "Vaa Rail vida polaama"
was superb!
"Vanakkam Vanakkamunga" song was sung by the
natives of the Puliyankulam itself!
It is one of the best albums of Santhosh Narayanan's
career!!!
Cinematography
Sridhar captured the emotions of every characters perfectly
and the frames made us to erupt with emotions as well.
Each and every important sequences and it's root causes were
shown to us clearly.
The aerial shots and distant shots were shot beautifully!
Editor
RK Selva's editing played a crucial role for this movie.
Each and every scenes were adequate and we cannot feel any
stretch or drag throughout the movie!
The visuals of the songs were shown frame by frame without
any jitter!
The interval and pre-climax sequences were visually
striking!!!
Cast
Kathir as Pariyerum Perumal B.A.B.L (mela oru kodu [in
progress])
This role was like a piece of cake for him.
He gave life to the role and represented all the people, who
are denied their rights in this society.
He delivered his dialogues without any flaws and his
attitude was his strength!
He was very calm at the beginning and becomes a
rebel-for-a-cause towards the end!
He is a great performer, since his first movie, especially
in "Kirumi" and I'm eagerly waiting to see him in "Sigai".
Anandhi as Jo
This particular character is one of the best lively
characters for a female lead in the recent times.
Her character was very lovely and her tone was so cute and
kiddish as well.
This is her career-best performance, without any doubts!
Please select scripts like this and you can shine brighter
than any.
Yogi Babu as Anandh
Unlike his previous works, He is travelling along with the
male lead throughout the movie as a supporting actor!
His comic timings, appearance and voice should never go off
from him.
From Best Comedian to Best Supporting Actor, he has lifted
himself a bit in his career!
Pari's father
I bet, nobody would have seen such a character like this in
World cinema!
His role was so pathetic and helpless.
He almost brought tears in the eyes of audience.
In a meeting, he said he was a street artist and doesn't
know anything about acting!
He didn't act at all, actually he was himself!
Venkatesan as Mesthri Thatha (Mason grandpa)
A different kind of villain, the Tamil cinema haven't seen
before.
Whenever he comes on-screen, he makes us to feel nervous and
makes us to develop more hatred for him.
Everyone would scold him black and blue, when he executes
innocents.
His role made us to react and that's his first victory as an
actor!
Marimuthu as Jo's father
He played an emotional father role who always boast about
his respect and caste in the society.
His mood changes according to the situations around him.
Other supporting cast
The roles like co-mason (played by Shanmugaraj), whose role
is same as his real life, the staffs at college, Principal, Jo's cousin, Pari's
mother and so on.
The choreography by Sandy Master was rocking for the song
"Engum Pugazh Thuvanga", where Anthony Dasan scored full marks, both
as a singer and a dancer as well!
The dialogues were so socialistic, thought-provoking and
funny at some places.
Especially the conversation between Pari and Principal got
big round of applause!
Overall, Pariyerum Perumal is a gem and the pride of Indian
Cinema!
Blurb: A must watch film before you die!!!
#3
96 Movie Review
This review is filled with tonnes of love!
96 is not a movie, but a romantic poem!!!
Plot
Does love fade with time?
This beautifully-crafted masterpiece will answer this
question in a 157-minute lovely journey!
Spoiler alert!
Story-cum-Poem
Something freezes this moment-freezer
That's nothing, but, his High school
The past strikes them both
The two could have become one
Circumstances didn't permit this one
What if they have joined?
A smile goes off before she rejoice
Her heart longs for the lost love
Started to move on their ways
Review
Director Prem Kumar
Wow! Love is there in his name itself.
Cinematographers have become directors in this industry!
And, Prem Kumar is not an exception.
He started his career as a cinematographer, and made his
debut with critically acclaimed 'Naduvula Konjam Pakatha Kaanom', which was his
own life story!
His directorial journey has begun well as the film is being
praised by all.
He has beautifully handled the cinematographers, editor,
music director and the entire crew.
The movie was very pleasant to watch from the start and till
the end.
The school days were beautifully filmed and it really took
us back to our past!
Here, the mysterious thing is that, there was not even a
single Christian name on the attendance sheet (of the class), in the school,
which is named All Saints!
The Whatsapp conversation scene was superb!
The placement of the song 'Kadhale Kadhale' was stunning and
the theater erupted with whistles!
The love between Ramachandran and Janaki Devi was pure like
the rain!
90's kids can be proud of this film, who can compare the
film with their lives!
Hats off Prem Kumar and All the best for your future!
Cinematographer Shanmuga Sundaram
He has captured beautiful moments and the very first song of
the film is the standing example for his love for camera!
The photographs shot by Ram in the movie were prize-worthy
ones.
It was like National Geographic stuff!
The film looked very beautiful, not even a single frame was
wasted by the camera man.
Great job, Sundaram!
Editor Govindaraj
He used black off effect to migrate from one scene to
another, which was very classic and neat.
The switch between past and present couldn't be felt as it
was executed with perfection.
Kudos to Govindaraj!
Music Director Govind Menon
He hails the popular band 'Thaikudam Bridge'.
The song "Kadhale Kadhale" was added to the
playlist of many youngsters, after its release.
The violin tone flowed into the ears like a river!
He should be an ardent fan of 'Musical Maestro' Ilayaraja,
as he used Raja Sir's bit-songs in many places in the movie.
Each and every song sung by Janaki in the movie were pleasing,
and every songs were originally sung by Janaki Mam.
Each and every songs of the movie were soothing and his
music is the soul for the movie!
Cast
Vijay Sethupathi as Ram aka Ramachandran
He began to score right from his intro song as a travel
photographer!
His acting was very natural and he did it very relaxed like
a pro!
His reaction, when Jaanu calls him 'Aambala Naatukatta' and
when he meets Jaanu after a long gap were so cute and kiddish!
He is one of the best script chooser in the industry!
Trisha as Jaanu aka Janaki Devi
After VTV, 96 is an another milestone in her career!
Her expressions were so good and the audience went crazy in
her intro scene!
Chinmayi absorbed her role and delivered a lovely
voice-over!
She has to do more films like this!
Adithya and Gouri as Young Ram and Jaanu
They are the finds of the year!
The casting team has chosen the perfect faces to play
younger versions of VJ Sethupathi and Trisha!
Both of them excelled in their own way.
Gouri's expressions, while singing songs, were very natural
as a professional singer!
Adhithya scored in many scenes without uttering the
dialogues!
It's not a big surprise that Adithya is our MS Bhaskar's
son! Good son and Great father!!!
Congratulations to both of you!
Supporting cast
Devadarshini and her daughter, who played her Mom's younger
version were the another surprise pack in the movie!
In addition to them, Bagavathi aka Bugs, 'Aadukalam'
Murugadoss, Janakaraj, Kavithalaya Krishnan and Varsha added more beauty to
this movie!
A special thanks to Art department for extending your hands
in making this movie a most beautiful and unforgettable one!
Overall, 96 is capable of digging out the feelings from your
heart!
Blurb: An art from heart!!!
#4
Ratsasan Movie Review
Mathematically,
2xHorror+Crime+Thriller = Ratsasan!
Plot
A Psycho kills 15 year-old school going girls in the city.
Did someone stop him or he continued killing?
You will find the answer through this 170-minute disturbing
psychological thriller!
Review
Director
It's surprising to see Ramkumar with Ratsasan after his
critically acclaimed 'Mundasupatti'!
Ramkumar was played by the protagonist Arun, who is a
director-cum-cop!
Arun's dedication and love for film-making is same as
Ramkumar's!
The back-end research involving the crimes of serial killers
all over the world is really appreciable!
He handled the script well and the characters were finely
sketched!
The dialogues were straight-forward and the protagonist's
dialogues were bullet-ed in some instances.
He used few actors from his previous work, who performed
well again.
Ramkumar glued the audience to the corner of the seat
throughout the movie!
Music Director
Ghibran's score was phenomenal!
His background score increased the heartbeat at various
circumstances.
The music, that came from his piano was very disturbing and
scary one!
His music plays a vital role in this movie.
The sound engineering team made the background score more
effective!
A surprise is that, he played an interesting cameo in the
movie!
He can be considered as one of the Best Background scorers
in the industry, undoubtedly!
Cinematographer
P.V.Sankar's cinematography was very strange and raw!
He captured some horrific images of corpse, that can affect
us very easily.
I guess, he must be a good product photographer!
His cinematography helped the director a lot to visualize
his movie from his very own perspective!
So, this is not only the director's movie, but also the
cinematographer's!
Editor
San Lokesh's editing was very sharp and crisp!
The magic tricks performed by the artist were edited
beautifully, in one particular flashback portion, the actions of magician were
showed with reduced frame-rate, that made a difference in screenplay.
Some sequences looked clueless, which turned out to be the nightmares
of the protagonist, were cut inappropriately to add deliberate confusions!
Excellent work from San!
Cast
Vishnu Vishal as Arun
This is one of the best roles in his career!
He looked perfect in the cop outfit, and his voice
modulations were good as both director and cop!
His intentions were clear and he just lived the role!
Vishnu loves to choose interesting scripts and he should
continue with this.
Amala Paul as Viji
She got an important role in the movie and she did it
beautifully.
Her role didn't look uninteresting like the other female
lead roles in the recent films.
She has given a strong comeback with her role!
There are 3 Psychos in this movie.
1. Antagonist
2. Maths Teacher
3. Lady Inspector
Antagonist
He played the roles of Magician, Serial killer and a Student.
This particular should have been the inspiration from the
title role of the film 'The Curious case of Benjamin Button'.
His appearance was haunting enough, to fit into the movie!
He made us to feel pity and scary as well, with his
expressions.
Good casting choice!
Maths Teacher
He made us to feel irritating and disgusting toward him.
His role should be feared and respected!
Already, many doesn't like maths, and after seeing this
movie, they will hate the maths teachers too!
Lady Inspector
She is a bloody psycho, who is very fond to her daughter and
no one else.
Her role was stubborn and she never takes anyone's advice
and their ideas either.
Whenever she comes on-screen, we feel like, she should be
killed first before the villain!
Such was her acting!
Other Supporting cast
Munishkanth Ramdoss and Kali Venkat were very serious with
the script and done their roles with utmost sincerity.
The girls who played the characters Ammu and Sanjana were
lovely to watch.
Radha Ravi sir played a very short, yet an important role in
the movie!
The stunt sequences were powerful and realistic!
Overall, Ratsasan is a must-watch psychological thriller for
its technical brilliance and a hard hitting screenplay!
Blurb: Beware of this Ratsasan (Psycho)!!!
