Amara Kaaviyam

Jeeva Sankar stepped on the dais with Vijay Antony's Naan, a tautly made thriller which was a runaway hit at the Box Office. Come 2014, and we have Amara Kaaviyam, his second film as a director. After attempting to make a thriller in his first, the cinematographer cum director flips onto the romantic side with this one. Does this turn out to be as poetic as it is publicized to be? Read on to find out.

Amara Kaaviyam is one film which tries too hard to be a poem on celluloid. When it tries to be detailed, it ends up being slow. When it tries to become intense, it turns melodramatic. And there are many such turn-offs. The whole film is based on a core idea which was brittle to my eyes. The first 45 minutes were underwhelming to say the least, and albeit the film picking up from there, the end result isn't something on the positive side. Jeeva Sankar's script is totally devoid of comedy, which in the right amounts could have really changed things for the better. It is a series of middling events in the lives of two people in love, which fail to hold your attention. 

Coming to the casting, Arya's brother needs to improve a lot. Though his facial makeover fits into the role of a schoolboy, he is stiff in the acting quotient and truly needs to get better. The team could have been appreciated if they had found a heroine who looked a tad younger. Instead, they have zeroed in on this lady who looks 2 times elder to Sathya. However, Miya comes up with a performance which deserves a special mention. Her facial expressions are top notch and she is one of the actresses who will make a mark here, flying in from God's own country. The rest of the cast are apt, be it Ananth Nag or the the lead pair's parents.

One really wishes that Jeeva Shankar continues as a cinematographer and steps into bigger projects. His camera pans through the lush green locales of Ooty, canning in some brilliant shots in the process. Amara Kaaviyam is a visual delight, no doubts. The art direction is decent, taking good care of a film set in the 80s.

Ghibran's music is the linchpin of Amara Kaaviyam and adds life to the film. Albeit his mesmerizing songs not receiving superb picturizations, his background score is haunting and is one area in the film which is flawless. Pity this talented guy for not being a part of a worthy film, although being honest to his profession all along.

Amara Kaaviyam is said to be based on a true incident. Unfortunately, neither the happenings leading to the incident or the incident itself is something which will raise your eyebrows. The much hyped climax is a let down too. If Nayanthara wept after watching this, I'm afraid the reasons might have been different.