VELAIKAARAN (TAMIL) (2017)

If Thani Oruvan saw director Mohan "Remake" Raja reinvent himself as a fine director of a remake-worthy original feature, his sophomore attempt in this quest cements the credentials he had earned with his previous venture.

Make no mistake. Despite getting packaged as an entertainer, Velaikaaran is a message movie that tends to get preachy. Yet, if it works for the most part, it is because of some smart writing and directing that sincerely attempts to raise the bar for the mundane masala flicks that are dumped on us on a weekly basis. 

Sivakarthikeyan fits the role like a glove with a convincing performance (perhaps, his best work yet) and this film should see him hit a new high in his rapidly soaring career graph. Rest of the ensemble cast including the excellent Fahad Fazil making his debut in Tamil (excellent diction), Nayantara, Sneha, Prakash Raj, Rohini, Charlie, RJ Balaji and others acquit themselves competently in their cameos. 

While it has its share of flaws including certain formulaic cliches, lectures and some flab in running time, the movie has its heart in the right place and tells a story with sincerity that strikes a chord with the viewers without succumbing to too many compromises or cheap thrills.

WORTH A WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5

THONDIMUTHALUM DRIKSAKSHIYUM (aka THE EXHIBIT & THE EYEWITNESS) (MALAYALAM) (2017)

Director Dileesh Pothan who made an impressive debut with Maheshinte Prathikaram has returned with another charming slice-of-life drama. When newly-wed couple Sreeja (Nimisha Sajayan) & Prasad (Suraj Venjaramoodu) are travelling by bus, a thief (Fahaad Faasil) steals Sreeja's gold chain. However, Sreeja catches him swallowing the gold chain and hands him over to the nearest police station with the help of co-passengers. The rest of the movie narrates what happens thereafter.

Nimisha Sajayan as the housewife who is distraught and angry at her loss along with Suraj Venjaramoodu as the husband driven to his wits, Alencier Ley Lopez as the ASI Chandran on the brink of retirement bring an effortless authenticity to their roles while Fahaad Faasil nails his part as  he transforms into a slippery smalltime thief shrouded in mystery. 

There is an inherent  beauty to the narrative which flows like a gentle stream with minimal gush, yet capable of captivating the viewer with its steady flow. It draws us in very early and makes us totally invested in the story which keeps us wondering what next. The fact that Dileesh is able to bring out the beauty in the banal routines, seamlessly weave in multiple strands which add texture to even minor characters or happenings without disturbing the flow of the main narrative stand testimony to this helmer's confidence and control. He is emerging as a director with a distinct signature style and somebody to look forward to in the future.

Kudos to the director who has marshalled an excellent cast and a brilliant technical team including ace cinematographer Rajeev Ravi, music director Bijibal and others in presenting a simple, subtle, yet absorbing story with a good dose of humour and garnished with just the apt level of thrill and suspense. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!

RATING - 4/5

THEERAN ADHIGAARAM ONDRU (aka THEERAN - CHAPTER ONE) (TAMIL) (2017)

After a long time, A VERY SATISFYING action thriller. Director H. Vinoth (of Sathuranga Vettai fame) has presented a well made action movie which ticks almost all the right boxes of the genre with minimal compromises.

The movie, which is based on true incidents, recounts an episode in the life of a tough cop from Tamil Nadu who sets out with his team to capture a dreaded gang of thugs that was involved in multiple gruesome, armed robberies and murders in Tamil Nadu as well as other states.

Karthi fits the role of the daring cop and breathes life into the character in every frame. Abhimanyu Singh and his gang are utterly convincing as the brutally intense baddies.

The pulsating score by Ghibran, cinematography by Sathyan Sooryan, nifty editing by Shivanandeeswaran and well executed action sequences choreographed by Dhilip Subbarayan elevate the impact of the proceedings.

Director Vinoth deserves praise for his skillful combination of commercial elements with detailed research, stunning action set pieces and for shunning the regular trappings of super hero machismo and melodrama.

While the movie has its fair share of blemishes including its run-time resulting in some drag and some logical pole vaulting, for the most parts, it remains a riveting watch. I hope more such chapters are added to this cop story which has the potential to evolve into a franchise.

AN EXCELLENT WATCH !

RATING - 3.5/5

ARAMM (aka GOOD DEED) (TAMIL) (2017)

Debutante Director Gopi Nayinar narrates an episode in the life of a young and idealistic collector Mathivathani (an excellent Nayantara) who has to deal with a crisis situation involving a kid trapped in a deep bore well.

It is pertinent tale for our turbid times steeped in growing inequalities and institutional apathy especially when dealing with those unfortunate to dwell at the bottom of the pyramid. 

The movie's main strength is its leading lady played by Nayantara who brings an earnest approach to her role. The director is successful in creating an authentic milieu and relatable supporting cast which engages us. On the downside, it gets tedious when it is overtly melodramatic and downright preachy. 

Yet, the sincerity in effort to stand out from the crowd and succeeding to a large extent in flagging issues which are  largely ignored or dumbed down by mainstream cinema is appreciable.

A DECENT WATCH !

RATING - 3/5

THOR - RAGNORAK (ENGLISH) (2017)

Thor Ragnorak is a fun addition to the MCU.

While I liked the dark and serious tone of Civil War, this flick with a healthy dose of humour is more in the mould of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Both Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo sparkle, revelling and discovering the lighter side of the superheroes - Thor and Hulk. Academy award winner Cate Blanchet is rocking as the sinister sister of Thor, Hela.

Kiwi director Taika Waititi comes as a breath of fresh air to the MCU and hopefully would continue to explore new and exciting dimensions along with worthy peers like James Gunn and the Russo brothers.

SOLID BLOCKBUSTER FUN !

RATING - 3.5/5

SECRET SUPERSTAR (HINDI) (2017)

In Secret Superstar, debutante director Advait Chandan presents the story of a school-goer Insiya Malik (Zaira Wasim), who is a talented singer chasing her dream of making it big in the music world. She is hobbled by multiple challenges, prime among them being her conservative and boorish father Farooq (Raj Arjun). Supporting on her uphill journey to realise her dream, are her loving mother Najma (Meher Vij), best friend at school Chintan (Tirth Sharma), a loud & maverick music director Shakti Kumar (Aamir Khan) and YouTube. 

While the movie traverses the familiar path of the genre and has its share of cliches and melodrama, director Chandan's treatment ensures that the film has its heart in the right place and elevates it from being run-of-the-mill fare to an extra-ordinary experience through excellent performances across the board from the cast as well as exceptional music from Amit Trivedi.

Zaira Wasim who impressed everyone in Dangal as the young Geeta Phogat and won a well deserved National award for Best Supporting Actor for her performance in that role is back with a superlative performance - the best I have seen this year - as Insiya which is all heart and makes an instant connect with the audience. She is a natural and rides the roller-coaster of emotions effortlessly and has an awesome presence radiating oodles of warmth in every frame. Going by sheer talent, she is a star performer and this movie heralds her arrival on the big screen BIG TIME.

She is surrounded by an able supporting cast who ace their respective roles. Meher Vij is a joy to watch as Najma - a loving mother who is prepared to go any distance to nurture and nourish the dreams of her daughter, even risking the wrath of her abusive husband. Raj Arjun is Farooq is absolutely chilling as the domineering despot and controlling husband/father. Aamir Khan has a blast playing the flamboyant and eccentric music director. The rest of the cast including Tirth Sharma as Insiya's best friend Chintan and even those playing minor roles like the kid playing Insiya's younger brother are pitch perfect.

Music director Amit Trivedi's winning album with the stirring vocals of Meghna Mishra and memorable lyrics from Kausar Munir are assets that accentuate the movie. Advait Chandan acquits himself as a competent director with his simple, subtle, yet proficient style of story-telling.

Secret Superstar is another testimony to the ability of Aamir Khan to back worthy projects which could be critical as well as commercial success and in feisty, Zaira Wasim, he has unearthed a gem who, given the right projects, has the potential to sparkle on Indian screens for years to come. 

Go watch it. It may be formulaic fare and may not have anything novel; But, it is manifest proof that even the mundane when executed well with sincerity could make it magnificent and even memorable.

AN EXCELLENT WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5

Mersal (Tamil) (2017)

Far from the tortures like Sura or Bhairavaa..

But, not quite in the league of entertainers like Shankar's Gentleman or even Murugadoss' Ramanaa  ..

This Attlee film is a welcome addition to the blockbusters of Vijay who seems to be his usual self (read this as you may) in three roles.

Besides Vijay, Nithya Menen, Vadivelu (welcome-back) and S J Surya make a mark which is quite something in a star vehicle.

While the film has all the trappings and technical finesse, one would expect, the songs as well as the (very) high decibel score from AR Rahman is a major disappointment.

Director Attlee who had rehashed Baashaa as Theri seems to be progressing on his learning curve with this film which is an over-long (almost three butt-numbing hours) stylized rehash of multiple earlier hits from the genre.

At best, a benign one-time watch !

RATING - 2.5/5