Enakkul Oruvan Movie Review

Non-linear narrative films have rarely worked in Kollywood, as they've fallen to bad execution, logical loopholes or other blips in the making. Taking the paperwork from the Kannada blockbuster Lucia, Prasath Ramar's Enakkul Oruvan hits the screens today. Lucia was a complicated film which needed a lot of clarity to be represented, does the remake live up to that?

Enakkul Oruvan follows Vignesh, a torch light shiner who also happens to be an insomniac. The incidents that take place when he goes in search of his sleep is what the film is all about. Taking charge of a multi layered screenplay, newcomer Prasath Ramar has taken immense care to avoid any open turns which leave the audience in a confused spot. Shifting back and forth between two stories, the proceedings never lose their path and stay coherent until the end. Apart from the director's work, the award worthy editing helps the movie in a huge way, without which there would have been a lot of questions arising in the mind of the viewer.

When it comes to performances, Siddharth walks away with all the glory, as he is absolutely brilliant in the contrasting roles. Showing great variation between the two characters, he manages to pull off both the acts of a star and a low-man easily. Sid can be proud of Enakkul Oruvan, a film worth boasting as his 25th. Deepa Sannidhi isn't the best pick for this role, but manages to pass muster with her performance. The film has a notable ensemble cast with the likes of Naren, Ajay Ratnam, Srushti Dange etc who put up a good show.

Technically, the film is rock solid with stunning cinematography, music and DI. Gopi Amarnath's commendable camerawork is evident in the black and white scenes where he aesthetically captures the surroundings without losing focus on the main characters. Editing by Leo John Paul is the linchpin of the film, maintaining a perfect flow in the narration and juxtaposing both the stories in tandem. The beginning of Poo Avizhum Pozhudil is an example of what is being talked about here. The artwork deserves a special mention for bringing in the required aura without spending too much.

Music by Santosh Narayanan is top notch, both in terms of the songs and the BGM. While the songs recieve good visuals, the BGM is nothing less than eerie and haunting, sometimes alarming. Sound designers Vishnu Govind and Sree Sankar have put in their efforts to purify the ambient noises, thereby providing a surreal experience.

Enakkul Oruvan is a convincing product from CV Kumar and team. Almost every individual has put in his best and the result is a positive one. While the slow pace of the film remains an issue for some, a few others may find it confusing and over-the-head. Drawing comparisons to the original, Enakkul Oruvan finds itself a tad behind. However, Prasath Ramar manages to join the dots, making this a film which deserves your eyes. Go watch it. Do not forget your brains.

Verdict: Refreshing cinematic experience.

3.25 / 5

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Uttama Villain Music Review

Loveaa Loveaa: Singers – Kamal Hassan, Sharanya Gopinath, Anitha, Nivas

Ghibran starts off things in wondrous fashion with Loveaa Loveaa, a fast-paced love number. The buzzing chorus is a first of sorts along with the interesting interludes which are drum heavy. Kamal Hassan’s energetic vocals sync so well with the music and are well aided by the other singers. Ghibran has a Telephone Manipol of his own now.

Kaadhalam Kadavul Mun: Singer – Padmalatha

Ghibran brings in Padmalatha of ‘Aruvakaaran’ fame for a solo melody in Kaadhalam Kadavul Mun. Along with a lilting chorus, the singer takes centre stage in a typical Gibran track which impresses with the simple instrumentations.

Uttaman Introduction: Singers – Subbu Arumugam, Kamal Hassan

With a native tune and ethnic lyrics, Subbu Arumugam and Kamal Hassan put together an impactful intro song for the Uttaman. Ghibran must be lauded for the lavish use of live instruments which do help in bringing out the actual essence of the song. The final moment is a scream with the ‘Thangara Thangara’ beat upping the ante.

Saagavaram: Singers – Kamal Hassan, Yazin Nizar, Ranjith, Iyappan, Ghibran

In Saagavaram, you have Kamal Hassan with a handful of supporting singers who work as a chorus. The end result, is a moving track which is packed with sword sounds, innovative musical cues and what not. With added listens, the track grows on you and makes you love it even more.

Iraniyan Naadagam: Singers – Kamal Hassan, Rukmini Ashok Kumar, Performed by Sofia Symphony Orchestra

Kamal Hassan puts his pen to captivating use in Iraniyan Naadagam, a track which is the soundtrack of a live play. Without going off track, the symphony is blended beautifully with the orchestration. Strings, keys and drums come into play in flawless tandem, working its way to a fine finish.

Mutharasan Kadhai: Narrated by Kamal Hassan, Additional Vocals – Yazin Nizar, Ranjith, Iyappan, Padmalatha, Performed by Sofia Symphony Orchestra

This track traverses through the story of Mutharasan, and narrates an episode in his life. Though it is wholly film oriented, the track offers some well panned out music if you lend your ears along with some concentration. Sure to work with the visuals!

Uttaman Kadhai: Narrated by Kamal Hassan, Additional Vocals – MS Bhaskar, Yazin Nizar, Ranjith, Iyappan, Performed by Sofia Symphony Orchestra

With grand musical arrangements and the use of the Uttama Villain theme, Ghibran pulls off a coup in Uttaman Kadhai. After a slow start, the track rises tempo halfway and jolts towards an impressive finish. The song ends with some lighter keynotes, pretty neatly.

Original Soundtracks

The Uttama Villain theme is a fitting theme track for an album of this calibre. With a haunting chant and a surreal mood, this one is a complete winner.

Guru and Sishya is probably the background for the early scenes involving Kamal Hassan and K. Balachander. Decently planned and executed.

Father and Daughter is a simple track which is mostly played out by the symphony instruments. Harmless!

A flute-dominant starts then turns into a fairy-tale jingle in Uttaman and Karpagavalli. Ghibran adds a Disney-like flavour to the song at the end, making it a touch different from the others.

Piano comes into play in Father and Son, where a rather pedestrian tune receives an eerie female hum.

Letter from & to Yamini is a theme which brings forth a lovely aura to the scene. Ghibran has gone places with this one!

Dr. Arpana is a good closing note to the OST from Ghibran, albeit being similar to the other themes.

Summary: Without concentrating on the hit quotient, Ghibran has transcended barriers to provide a sublime OST. The songs boast of innovation, brilliant use of instruments and a striking coherence between the vocals and the orchestration. Uttama Villain is truly gen-next music from the composer!

Verdict: Impressively inventive music!

4.25 / 5

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Kaaki Sattai Movie Review

There's always a time when an actor decides to wander out of his comfort zone and find a place in a film which will both satisfy his fans and shut his critics. In the case of Sivakarthikeyan, comedy has always been his playground. With Kaaki Sattai, the actor tosses a stone at something across the boundary. How has that worked out? Find out in our Kaaki Sattai review. 

Kaaki Sattai is the latest addition to the long list of honest cop stories in Kollywood. The film follows Mathimaran, as he finds a so called strong case and solves it. Unfortunately, the end product only entertains in parts with nothing new to offer. Director Durai Senthilkumar has a palette of comedy, action, sentiment and romance. But somewhere into the film, the mixing is inappropriate. Here is where the director draws a thin line between a comic cop and a serious one, finally failing to walk the tightrope.

Sivakarthikeyan plays the role of the cop with elan. Fit as a fiddle, the actor never looks out of place in a film with enough action and 'mass' scenes. His comic timing and bubbly mannerisms are a joy to watch at all points of the film, as usual. There are a lot of enjoyable pull-ups like selfies, dialogues from other films and even the viral Hara Hara Mahadev Ki which are executed by the star in a superb way. Sadly, it is the characterisation which takes away the excitement from the offering. Sridivya is a doll in this film, and looks absolutely alluring in the flashy costumes and songs. However, her role isn't meaty in the second half as she is ostensibly absent from the proceedings. While Imman Annachi recites some catchy one liners at times, Vijay Raaz as the villain is pretty ordinary. The rest of the supporting cast are adequate, with a special mention to Prabhu who makes a mark in his role.

Kaaki Sattai is technically so cool, with stunning frame presentation by Sukumar. Be it the songs or the action sequences, the film looks bright and is captured very well on cam. Editing by Vivek Harshan is good, still some more scissors on the runtime would have helped this one. Stunts are neatly done, the rain fight is undoubtedly the pick of the lot. Music by Anirudh is a big plus as the synth themes work superbly with the flow of the film. If not for him, Kaaki Sattai would have been a squirm.

With impressive dialogue writing by Pattukottai Prabhakar, Durai Senthilkumar packs a decent entertainer in Kaaki Sattai. But it does have its limits. The film is made on the tried and tested commercial formula, with little or no big surprises in store. Had the director concentrated on providing a serious cop story in the second half atleast, Kaaki Sattai would have been so much better. What we get now, is fun at places and stale at the others. You can meet Mathimaran, once.

Verdict: Selectively entertaining!

2.75 / 5 

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Badlapur Movie Review

Sriram Raghavan’s Badlapur draws a line between the usual run-of-the-mill revenge sagas and the psychological effect that mishaps have over individuals. After the completely crappy Agent Vinod, the director returns to make a film with revenge as the plot. But how different is it from other films, and is that difference worth your two hours at the cinema hall? Read on to know.

Badlapur takes you through the life of Raghav, aka Raghu. As seen in the trailer, Raghu goes on finding the guys who killed his wife and son. What happens over the journey, which lasts for a period of about 20 years is what Badlapur is all about. When the title card says ‘Don’t Miss the Beginning’, they did mean every bit of it. The best part of the film is its opening 15 minutes, which is a terrific live sequence captured efficiently on camera. Once that is done, the film starts to crawl on a slower note. Badlapur has its fair share of moments, but the film does miss out on a lot of opportunities where it could have caught up on some really exciting sequences.

Varun Dhawan isn’t the perfect pick for a role of this sort, as he looks like a misfit in the latter half of the movie where he plays the 40 year old. Though he has worked on his physical appearance to depict the time-gap, his facial expressions are stale and fails to evoke emotions. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a scream, for he has a brilliant role in which he performs pretty well. The girls are probably the USP of the film, especially Huma Qureshi and Radhika Apte who are lucky to have some powerful scenes to enact. The rest of the cast is apt, and fit the bill well.

Cinematography is the pillar of Badlapur, for the film does possess some praiseworthy camerawork. As for the editing, the film does suffer some abrupt cuts at places. But that does not wind the flow of the movie at any point. Music is decent, with a special mention to Jee Karda which is arguably the song of the year so far.

Badlapur is not bad. But at the same time, it isn’t good either. Sriram’s direction might earn him some brownie points, but it is the screenplay which lacks finesse and is lightly haphazard. It is left to the viewer to make or break his verdict on the film, based on his thoughts after the climax. In my case, it didn’t work so well.

Verdict: Decently written, badly executed.

2.75 / 5 

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Anegan Movie Review

However solid a script may be, the final product will not be upto the mark in the absence of stellar execution. After a leggy offering in the name of Maattrraan, KV Anand hits back with Anegan, a well engineered psychological thriller. By taking immense care in the scripting department and maintaining complete clarity with his ideas, the director has achieved what he set out to, quite convincingly.

Anegan traverses through four different avatars of the lead pair which are interconnected to each other. Though one has to watch the film with utmost concentration, the end result is a compelling one with all questions answered. The ability of the director to keep his vision clear while dealing with a complicated screenplay is the king's move here, as KV Anand delicately mixes the core story with the everyday commercial elements. The film gets better and better with the passing minute, only to suffer from a slight drag in the pre-climax sequences. However, the intriguing tug of war between Dhanush and the villain in the climax emits laughter, thrills, spills and what not.

The three musketeers in Anegan's cast card are Dhanush, Karthik and Amyra who come up with knockout performances. Dhanush is extremely comfortable enacting the avatars, thereby doing full justice to his roles. His portions as Kaali along with the Dangamaari number in the second half will surely excite audiences, revoking whistles and claps. Amyra equally stands up to her counterpart with cute expressions and emotions, wherever required. More fun on the table when Karthik joins the party, as the veteran provides a fresh angle to the film and is a scream towards the end. And we just cannot leave out the other important characters who chip in with defining performances at the right places.

Kudos to Om Prakash for wonderfully aiding KV Anand with the visuals. The film has a rich and vibrant Bollywood feel overall with a special mention to the songs. The cuts are decently done in a film which could have easily been spoiled by bad editing. Harris Jayaraj's music is apt and is thankfully not overdone at any point.

Amidst a flurry of biggies, Anegan comes in as a whiff of fresh air. Writers Subha and KV Anand have to be applauded for their paperwork which is devoid of a loose end. Albeit being a little confusing, Anegan ends up on the safe side and is a comeback of sorts for the director. While watching Dangamaari, I realized that it is much more than a kuthu song. Anegan too, is much more than just Dangamaari. This film, might make merry.

Verdict: An engaging, cerebral ride! 

3.25 / 5

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Shamitabh Movie Review

First posted on ONLYKOLLYWOOD.COM

Ever since Dhanush forayed into Bollywood with Raanjhnaa and bagged awards for it, the actor has made heads turn and look forward to his next outing on the upper side. As lucky as he could get, Dhanush landed himself a role with none other than Amitabh Bachchan himself, where Akshara Haasan too makes a debut. What does the movie offer? Time to find out from my Shamitabh review.

As we all know, Shamitabh is the story of a mute bus conductor who aspires to become a hero. With the help of Akshara Haasan and some technology, Dhanush befriends Amitabh Bachchan and convinces him to lend his voice for his films. What follows is the rise and fall of the new character called Shamitabh. Director R.Balki had a stellar cast, strong technical team and the Maestro's music. But one does feel that he did not put the talent to best use here, as the end result is slow paced and predictable. There are a lot of interesting moments throughout the film, here and there. But at the same time, the infusion of a few inane Bollywood sequences make you question the intention of the director. What is the need to introduce unnecessary elements into a story which could be beautifully molded between the three top characters?

Dhanush and Amitabh Bachchan have truly competed with each other to perform better onscreen. When Dhanush emotes laughter without saying a word, Amitabh hits back with a strong riposte in his drunk, hung over voice. His voice is the USP of the film, more than anything else. You just cannot afford to miss the scene where he recites a dialogue from Mughal e Azam. Only veterans hold their place for long and Shamitabh shows you why he is one. Dhanush's role too, requires a lot of homework and the actor has given his best for the film, just like every other. But the show stealer definitely is Akshara Haasan who throws in a surprise with her act. Enacting long shots looks like a cakewalk to the little girl, for she has made her mark standing between two powerhouses. There are a lot of other faces and cameos in the film, but nobody seems to care when these three are on song.

PC Sreeram's cinematography is once again a treat to the eyes. Each of his frames are wallpaper material and capture the proceedings from a different perspective. Editing is apt for a film of this kind, and a special mention for the costume designers too. Ilaiyaraaja's music complements Balki's visions superbly, as the maestro brings in lovely cues in the background score. The mesmerizing music gets better onscreen with the impressive visuals.

On the whole, Shamitabh is belted with impressive performances which will steal your heart. What it lacks, is the heart in the screenplay, without which the film doesn't connect very well at the end. While Shamitabh should not be missed for the cast, it could have scaled higher with a better second half. A good film, but not a great film.

Verdict: Power packed performances in a slow narrative.

3 / 5

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Yennai Arindhaal Movie Review

First posted on ONLYKOLLYWOOD.COM 

The wait is over. After tons of conclusions and postponements, Yennai Arindhaal finally hits the screens today, with expectations at the zenith. This is a film where Gautham Vasudev Menon finishes his cop trilogy with a man who he had originally planned to start it with, Thala Ajith. Does the film manage to fulfil the expectations of the innumerous cinephiles worldwide? Lets find out in our Yennai Arindhaal movie review.

Yennai Arindhaal traverses through the life of a man named Sathyadev. The film dwells into his dreams and ambitions, love angles, friends, enemies, frenemies and much more. Walking through this film with the central character and Gautham Menon's narration, the viewer tastes a little bit of all the joy, sorrow and challenges that are thrown at Sathyadev. The director has taken immense care in carving out an action thriller which satisfies all sections of the audience. After getting off to a slow start, the proceedings accelerate and halt at a likable interval block. Post the interval, breakneck is the word for the pace at which the screenplay flies. Gautham Menon throws in one surprise after another with a strong emotional connect. Albeit the film being devoid of a mindwhacking twist, it never goes off track or tries too hard.

Thala Ajith's performance in Yennai Arindhaal is nothing less than fantastic. Present in almost every scene of the film, he swoops into the skin of the characters and literally lives the role of Sathyadev. Be it the young and local character or the matured man with the salt and pepper hairdo, Ajith's acting is near perfect and easily helps you connect with the cloak. Frankly speaking, Yennai Arindhaal is one of Thala's best, coming at a great point in his career. While Ajith scores on one side, it is Arun Vijay who equally complements him on the other. To grab some attention while standing with a man like Ajith is a herculean task in itself, and that will definitely take Arun Vijay's career upwards from here on. Gautham Menon's films have strong feminine characters, and Yennai Arindhaal is no less. Be it Trisha, Anushka or the petite Parvathy Nair, all of them have made their mark in the film. While Trisha leaves an impact with her performance, Anushka takes the cake in a light role. Vivek has been aptly used with the right amount of one liners at the right places. Finally, it is Baby Anikha who is a heartwarming addition to the cast. Touchy, from the little one.

Yennai Arindhaal is good on the technical side too. Dan Macarthur's cinematography is on par with Hollywood films in the action sequences, and he skillfully brings in a dreamy flavour to the song montages. Watch out for the action sequences in the second half. The guerrilla run surely deserves a pat on the back of the cinematographer, in addition to GVM. But Yennai Arindhaal surely deserved some better editing for the flow is affected with some sloppy jump cuts at many places.

Music by Harris Jayaraj is just over the line. While the songs work well thanks to the visuals, the BGM is loud, noisy and electronic. Probably the pressure to finish the film has taken an adverse effect in these two departments. Without forgetting, we have to give it to Silva for the raw and realistic stunts which prevent the film from going over the top.

Gautham Menon's homework for Yennai Arindhaal is the key to the good result. By keeping the script strong, the director stands up to his reputation of directing solid action films. There are a handful of beautifully executed scenes in the second half. Some get you teary-eyed, some push you from your seat, but not one will make you squirm. I'm not sure if your respect for GVM will rise after Yennai Arindhaal, but I can guarantee that it will stay intact.

Yennai Arindhaal is not a flawless film. There are blips here and there like an unwanted song or a clichéd scene. But they are negligible keeping the fact in mind that this is a honest attempt from the director. GVM completes his cop trilogy in style. Its just the beginning, of good things to come. 

Verdict : Solid and satisfying action thriller.

3.75 / 5

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