Ramnath

Imagine having a fascinatingly novel plot involving the Roman Empire attempting to create rifts amongst a five-clan community in a mountain, with each clan having unique characteristics, professions, costumes- yet a magnanimously mounted epic treads on a familiar tale of re-incarnation, ending up doing justice to none. That is Kanguva.  Expecting larger than life elements and huge spectacle treatment is certainly not a bad thing, but there are certain facets to it, demanding some sort of nuance. Kanguva seems to have misunderstood this aspect in its epic attempt and hammers these sensibilities to all possible corners. From all Siva films, it is safe to say that one doesn't arrive to his films, expecting subtle emotions and underplayed moments and it's not completely wrong. With Kanguva, Dir.Siva attempts to broaden his canvas and experiment with genre-types and in his pursuit to integrate his trademark emotions to this narrative, Kanguva terribly misses out on creat...

  Overview: Biopics are usually a tough genre to either give an opinion or articulate our thoughts owing to the respect both the art and viewers hold for the person and their journey it takes us through. In that sense, Amaran is quite complex, but the opinion on this film is definitely a good thing to discuss about. Performances: The film is driven by strong performances. Sivakarthikeyan is majestic as Major Mukund, depicting all the traits the real character acquired. This physically demanding character not only stands out for the sincere performance the actor delivers on this front,but also those very tiny moments where the actor really shines. Sai Pallavi is the complete heart and soul of this film. She carries the character with great dignity, and the moments where it all demands her emotional acting chunks, she is tremendous.  The whole casting is done to the point. From the soldiers to the parents and even the tiny characters, everyone does a great job. Casting done righ...

  Overview: Eccentric films are always a very crafty and delicate genre to touch upon. If done right, they work extremely well but if not treated well, it becomes sore to watch. The integration of dark humour makes it a walk on a tight rope. Bloody Beggar, unfortunately, ends up missing its mark, even with some very compelling ideas. Performances: Kavin leads this ensemble cast of actors, with his great act as a beggar, innocent yet bizarre. He manages to hook us in the emotional portions, really well and shoulders the film. Redin Kingsley fails to bring some great laughs to the film. The other cast is quite a mixed bag. While some perform well to the character, some end up missing to make a mark. Cinematography and Music: Fresh out of Nelson's creative radar, Bloody Beggar has its trademark still frames, symmetric camera framings and a very yellow-brown colouring to the frames, adding a new flavour and theme to the story, in terms of treatment. The whole palace is shot very well, ...

Black comes out as a very engaging genre film that somehow ends up confusing the proceedings, although it succeeds in sustaining the mystery. Jiiva shoulders the film skilfully, raising above the usual shock or reactions,while PBS gives a decent performance. This minimal casting and the chemistry between the couple helps in maintaining some stakes for the story. The film really is very atmospheric and makes great use of sounds. Sound design is one among the finely executed aspects of the film that compliments the film in a good manner. Visuals aid very well to register the nature of the film, with minimal usage of other lights to set for a very realistic feeling of a confusing row house setting that is used to the fullest in the narrative. The film has a shaky start with a needless song and some broad stoke attempts to convince the audience about the nature of the protagonist. The film spends another 10 solid minutes with a song to show the couple and their closeness for th...

  Overview: Amidst many big hero films that cater to the stars, leaving a lot to desire in terms of story and creative choices, Vettaiyan is a very interesting superstar film that never requires its lead actor to showcase his stardom.  A monumental task of narrating a story with a huge star is nearly achieved in this flick, despite some dilutions. Creative choices and some nuances uplift this film that definitely has a lot going its way despite many shortcomings, which include the film being bogged down at times by its attempt to commercialise the moments. Performances: The ensemble casting here is a mixed bag. Rajinikanth is superb as the subtle Athiyan, even with some moments leaving it to the 'superstar'. Fahadh Faasil is absolutely brilliant as Patrick, who gives this techie character a natural and humane touch that goes far beyond the buttons and gadgets. Amitabh as Sathyadev has a magnanimous presence that compensates for his shallow character development. The other cast...

  Lu bber Pandhu Overview: Sports films are always a tricky genre to handle due to its predictability and capturing its true essence. Integrating emotions and sensitive subjects makes it an even more complex genre to deal with, and that's something Lubber Pandhu pulls off quite convincingly. Good writing can make even a feather a powerful weapon and this film is no such exception. The film deals with its subjects in a very deft manner that it neither overdoes nor underplays it. Performances: The story is filled with several characters etched out very well. Harish Kalyan as Anbu fills the screen with energy and maturity, and does several scenes in a subtle manner. The show stealers are easily Dinesh and Swasika, who get the best part out of everyone. The relationship between them is beautifully established through out the film and the small moments between them gives us some solid scenes of emotions. Dinesh as Gethu holds the perfect meter of being both egoistic as well as crying li...

  Meiyazhagan Overview: A film equivalent to an old album in our house, dusted yet nostalgic and wholesome. Amidst films with serious genres and wider ambitions, Meiyazhagan is a beautifully simple film that has a beating heart at a softer, yet right spot. The film manages to make a talky yet mature journey, out of a very simple thread of story. A film of this treatment, is a rare sight. Performances: The whole narrative is all about its two lead characters, Arvind Swamy and Karthi with few another characters. Karthi lights the screen with his bubbling innocence and brims with an infectious energy, with a tinge of emotional weight to him. The magic is however, with Arvind Swamy, who is easily the best in this film. He, as Arulmozhi Varman, brings a very humane nature to an already grounded character, His facial expressions and body language conveys the emotional weight he carries. The transformation his character undergoes, is very natural and convincing. The other star cast like R...