“Thug Life” Film Review
When Mani Ratnam and Kamalhaasan announced their second collaboration in November 2022, I knew that whatever they came up with could never match the cinematic heights reached by their first collaboration – the 1987 film Nayakan (pronounced Naayagan). This was not a pessimistic prediction but one that recognized that Mani Ratnam had peaked as a […]
MAAMAN Film Review
Soori’s rapid growth as an actor has been astounding. Since making his debut as a lead actor in Viduthalai Part 1, his script selection, depth of portrayal and his ability to live his character has turned him into one of Kodambakkam’s most remarkable actors. After fiery performances in Viduthalai Parts 1 & 2 and then […]
“Nesipaya” Film Review
I have, for many years, refused to read any film review until after I have seen the film. All too often, the review has many spoilers, or it creates a false impression even before one sees the first frame. Unfortunately, I knew from social media interaction that Nesipaya was slated by critics and that it […]
“Ten Hours” Film Review
Sibiraj makes a comeback through the thriller Ten Hours, written and directed by Ilaiyaraja Kaliyaperumal. The supporting cast includes Gajaraj, Dileepan, Saravana Subbiah, Aadukalam Murugadass, Raj Ayappa and Uthaya. The film traces the events of a single night on the eve of Inspector Castro (Sibiraj) going on a holy pilgrimage to Sabarimalai Temple. A missing […]
“TOURIST FAMILY” Film Review
Million Dollar Movies, the producers of Good Night and Lover, are fast developing a reputation for backing simple but powerful films with only their third film, titled Tourist Family. Directed by newcomer Abishan Jeevinth, Tourist Family is a film that is deeply moving, incredibly funny, emotion-stirring and very inspirational. Tourist Family tells the tale of […]
“RETRO” Film Review
Suriya’s first collaboration with Karthik Subaraj is co-produced by Suriya’s 2D Entertainment and Karthik Subbaraj’s Stone Bench Creations. In the pre-release publicity meetings, the film’s writer and director – Karthik Subbaraj – indicated that he had used a template that was similar to that of Rajinikanth’s Maniratnam directorial, Thalapathi. If one had to describe Retro, […]
“Tharunam” Film Review
A good thriller needs to have credible, rounded characters in a plot that is unpredictable, yet grounded in logic. For this to work, the script and screenplay need to be carefully mapped out to ensure that the finer details are not ignored. Tharunam is a romantic thriller that works because it has all these ingredients […]
“Niram Marum Ulagil” Film Review
Story anthologies are not a new phenomenon in Indian cinema. For the director, it is a delicate balance of creating an impact in a contracted period whilst still maintaining a common thread. Former ad film director Britto JB makes his feature film debut as a director in Niram Marum Ulagil, an anthology of four related […]
“PERUSU” Film Review
Traditionally, Tamil films with adult content have rarely enjoyed box-office success. It has nothing to do with whether or not Indian audiences are “ready” for this category, but the reality that South Indian society has not yet reached the level of decadence seen by most other societies. The box-office failure of the film Perusu has […]
“GOOD BAD UGLY” Film Review
One should never deride commercial films, and an unabashed homage to an actor by a fanboy director can be a very entertaining and enjoyable exercise. Ajith Kumar’s latest film, Good Bad Ugly attempts to do both, but succeeds only in pleasing the front-benchers of Ajith Kumar fans. The film marks the first Tamil production of […]