Chanthupottu (2005) : A Controversy

                            Chanthupottu is a Malayalam movie directed by Lal Jose and released in 2005 . It tells the story of Radhakrishn...

Feb 21, 2016

Sethupathy Tamil Movie Review

Paying respects to the contributions made by the police force, Sethupathy has a fearless and tough cop as the central protagonist who is honest and sincere towards his work. A movie with mass elements, Sethupathi gives actor Vijay Sethupathi a new makeover as far as role and looks are concerned. Not a bad film and is a watchable one that has nothing fresh to tell but it should serve quite well to the target audience.
A cold blooded murder of a cop happens and the murder is within the station limits where Sethupathi is in charge. He goes investigating into the crime and finds that a local big shot named Vaathiyaar is responsible for the murder. The cat and mouse game between Vaathiyaar and Sethupathi following the arrest of the former forms the crux of the story.
There are moments involving action and heroism that will cater to the masses. Sethupathy has nothing fresh to say and the treatment is also on predictable lines. The one thing that could strike you first if you are following the career of our hero is his presence this time in a different get up and style.
Even though the primary focus of the story is about the life of the cop and the fight between the protagonist and antagonist, there is another side also to the story where the family life of Sethupathi is also given prominence to balance the film.
But after some fine moments inititally, the sweetness turns sour. The family scenes became too monotonous and boring taking away the focus and aim of the story to deviate to something else.
Vijay Sethupathi in a new avatar has done total justice to the role of the tough, fearless and angry cop. At the same time, he was able to change his expressions to a normal family man spending good times with his wife and kids. The transformation from the cop to husband and father to his kids looked very easy and natural.
Remya Nambeesan did her part but it was more of repetitive scenes that she had to be part of. Supporting actors were also good. Notable among them was Vela Ramamurthy playing the role of Vaathiyar with a particular style that seems not to be a copy of someone else.
Engaging background score has definitely helped a lot to enlighten the total feel. Sreekar Prasad has done a fine job with the film at his editing table which is also another highlight.
Overall, Sethupathi is not a novel concept and falls within our familiar cop story giving a larger than life makeover to the hero boosting up his presence very often. The thing is everything is within certain limits without going overboard and that makes it an above average and watchable film from a mass point of view.
I will go with three out of five as my rating for this movie. Watch it for Vijay Sethupathi's exceptional performance in an action dominated role and his towering screen presence.
Rating - 3 / 5

Feb 19, 2016

Spotlight movie review

First of all a big pat and applause to Team "SPOTLIGHT" for the courage and boldness shown in the theme they have chosen. It has and had every chance to go controversial. A powerful and hard hitting drama, Spotlight nominated for this year's Academy Awards for best picture along with a few more nominations is intense and shocking as the scandal is brought to public knowledge.
The film has the Spotlight team of the Boston Globe Newspaper wing investigating and uncovering widespread cases of child molestation and sexual abuses done by Roman Catholic Priests.
Starting with the case of a single priest, story becomes all the more alarming once it is found that close to 100 priests were involved, the victim's number is close to 250 and the Church is well aware of this who were trying to cover up the whole thing.
Its the manner in which the drama is presented without making any compromises on the actual facts that catches your eye after watching the film. Also the way in which the investigation is done in a realistic manner without giving a heroic attention to the journalists made the plot look closer to truth and reality.
At the same time, one should also understand that the subject is very sensitive and hence the presentation needs to be extra careful so that it doesn't run out of your hands and out of control. On that aspect, I should say director Tom Mccarthy has been successful here and Spotlight never at any point gave a feel of a baggage of misrepresented facts.
Of course there would be controversies and lot of discussions on it as the topic here is a hot one but those things cannot question or put a dark shadow on the success of this film as an investigative drama. So far post release, I haven't heard anything of that sort.
There are some powerful acting performances too that makes Spotlight a compelling watch. The entire Spotlight team of Boston Globe right from the top to the investigating group led from the front to make it a powerful and intense one. Pick of the lot is Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and Michael Keaton. The former two who have been nominated for the best supporting actor and actress respectively at the Oscars. The supporting casts also contributed from their side to make Spotlight one of the best movie of recent times.
Overall, I should say this is a special film that deals with a controversial/sensitive subject with utmost ease and care without allowing the controversy blow out of proportion. The screenplay including dialogues though heavy along with rock solid performances and perfect direction makes this one a must watch film.
My rating is four out of five and a thumbs up to the entire team of Spotlight. Being a frontrunner, it shouldn't be a surprise if the film wins few Academy Awards which is to be announced later this month.
Rating - 4 / 5

Neerja Hindi Movie Review

Neerja Bhanot, not many of us might have heard about her. Those who have known and heard of her might have already forgotten her by now. Neerja, a model and a flight attendant is a brave girl who showed her grit, courage and selflessness in saving close to three hundred and fifty passengers from a Pan Am flight from Palestinian terrorists. This happened in the year 1986.
Neerja the movie directed by Ram Madhavani is a fitting tribute to this brave girl. Portrayed in a realistic manner and without making it look like a documentary, Neerja is a film full of life that will touch you, will make you cry and ultimately salute the bravery of this twenty three year old girl.
A US bound flight from Mumbai via Karachi is hijacked by three terrorists at Karachi airport. The tension, the fear and the mental agony the passengers on board experience is captured brilliantly in the film that has plenty of drama to show which is based on a true story.
The tension filled scenes inside the flight is shown along with the family life of Neerja making it less tiring. Had they shown only the hijack part of the drama and scenes connected with the hijack, it would have become a bit boring and we might also loose patience beyond a certain point.
On that note, I would say the director is successful here in presenting the screenplay in a fully convincing manner maintaining hundred percent justice to the true story of Neerja Bhanot. The tension beginning once the hijackers enter the flight have been filmed remarkably well such that the tension and fear in reel life is transferred to the people watching the reel life drama on screen.
Sonam Kapoor fitted into the role of Neerja with ease. But saying that, one can definitely see the effort she has taken to ensure the character of Neerja look perfect on screen.
On one side, she had to be the simple and fun loving Laado to her family mouthing the one liner dialogues of Rajesh Khanna her favourite actor. While on the other side as part of the hijacked flight, she had to portray the trauma of an ordinary girl and also show the courage to help the hapless passengers to safety. In both these areas, the actress in Sonam has come out triumphant in flying colours.
Shabna Azmi is always a reliable actress irrespective of the importance and number of scenes in a film. Here in Neerja, whatever scenes she had to perform as the mother of Neerja, it was portrayed in an awesome fashion thereby maintaining the high standard she has set in her illustrious career. Watch out for that emotional speech in the end especially her facial expression and the style of dialogue delivery matching the total mood of the scene.
Talking about this farewell speech in the end and the climax, it was a lengthy climax acting as a minor glitch. Nothing to complain on that as Neerja is a film that has lot of positives to offer with very little negatives that can be totally ignored.
Yogendra Tikku was the right choice for the role bringing out the anguish and helplessness of a father in the right way. It would be incomplete on the performance side if I don't mention about the three guys who acted as the terrorists. One of them, (I am not sure about the name) was outstanding with his mannerisms and expressions bringing out the cruelty inside that person with his dedicated act.
Neerja the movie would be incomplete without its cinematography. Outstanding camera work as the majority of the scenes happen inside the flight and its no mean task to capture it and at the same time create the right feel for it. Fine cuts at the editing table along with decent background score.
In a nutshell, Neerja is a must watch film that stays closer to reality. Doing total justice to the true story of Neerja Bhanot, the film is highly recommended for its quality, execution and a powerful story that will make one root for the title protagonist. I am going with four out of five for Neerja and saluting the courage shown by the original Neerja Bhanot in saving human life without caring for her own.
Rating - 4 / 5

Room Review

"Room" is beautifully told and show the deep bond of a young mother and her son who are held captives for almost a decade by a psychopath. With a touching story and a beautiful screenplay to its credit, Room makes for a compelling watch for the way in which the film is narrated and takes its shape.
Joy, the mother and Jack her son are held captives by Old Nick in a shed that they call Room. For the mother and her five year old son, that Room is their world. In fact, Jack has never seen the outside world. Can they escape from the clutches of this man? If at all they manage to escape, will they be able to adjust to the real world, well watch this powerful and delightful film to know the answers.
The emotional bonding between Joy and Jack are beautifully portrayed and will touch our heart. The hardships they are facing having forced to do every activity a normal human being perform in a house in a tiny room has been brilliantly conveyed through the camera angle. The love, the attachment and the care the mother have for her son is shown in a poignant and heart touching way.
Director Lenny Abrahamson has conveyed what he wanted to through his script very well. The story is disturbing but nevertheless the moments we have in the film are too touching to be ignored.
On screen, Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay are the souls and backbone of this movie. They have come out with a performance that looked so natural and classy. Quite naturally they deserve a big round of applause for successfully conveying the helplessness at one stage to the confused mind at a later stage with total authority. Rest of the supporting actors were also good in their respective roles.
Overall, here is a touching and engaging emotional drama that has a beautiful story of two people backed by solid performances. I will go with four out of five as my personal rating for Room, an overwhelming film that has its heart at the right place.
Rating - 4 / 5

Miruthan Tamil Movie Review

Zombie thrillers are not new to Indian audience. We have been watching a lot of them coming directly from Hollywood. We even had our first Zombie film in 2013 when Bollywood came up with Saif Ali Khan starrer Go Goa Gone. Now, how can the Tamil movie industry lag behind as they have come up with their own version of a Zombie film that in all respects is a pretty engaging thriller in the form of "Miruthan".
Karthik (Jeyam Ravi) works in the traffic department. He is not too keen to take up postings that involves high tension since that will put him in a spot of bother in his duty towards looking after his young sister..
A deadly virus outbreak from a chemical manufacturing company makes people zombies after they are bitten by people already infected. The situation becomes alarming and out of control. Karthik somehow gets involved into this as he plays a vital part in helping a team of doctors to find the antibody to fight the virus.
Its a very short movie of just hundred and six minutes of running time. Never will it make you bored as the film runs at a pretty decent pace right from the start till it ends. Of course there are certain things that defies logic and also there are few flaws in the execution. But on an overall perspective, Miruthan is a watchable thriller.
The entire first half is evenly paced and is quite engaging. Its the second half that looses the momentum somewhere but everything gets recouped in the final stages and the film ends on a good note without disappointment.
One area where there was scope for improvement was in the graphics part. Also little more care should have been given to the looks / make up of Zombies. Barring these aspects and a low profile middle segment, Miruthan directed by Shakti Soundar Rajan is a thriller that has a soul in it.
Jayam Ravi brings life into the character of Karthik and carry almost the entire film on his shoulders. Baby Anikha and Kali Venkat support Ravi effectively. Lekshmi Menon in a poorly written character could not make any presence at all. Her half baked romance with Jayam Ravi's character was a total washout.
Music played a big part in the success of Miruthan. Both the songs as well as BGM was able to create the feel suitable for each and every scene.Credit goes to the man behind the music scene, Imman.
You can definitely try this film as it is a watchable thriller. A first for South Indian films to experiment this genre, the attempt is to be lauded at the first place. Hoping that this team comes out improving on the quality side as well as covering up the lapses in this movie in the sequel which they are planning to roll out soon. I am going with three out of five for Miruthan.
Rating - 3 / 5

Feb 14, 2016

Deadpool movie review

We have a different type of superhero in the form of Deadpool who talks a lot of fun and do the maximum to entertain us unlike the other superhero characters who do less talking and are more inclined to action and toughness. Deadpool the movie is highly engaging and at the same time a clean entertainer offering lots of 'fucking' fun.
Our Censor Board has done its best in terms of making the dialogues look incomplete at many places. But in spite of these odds, Deadpool has come out with all guns blazing providing wholesome entertainment quite different from rest of the Marvel superheroes.
Wade Wilson is leading a contented life as a mercenary. He meets Ajax who has some wicked plans as he perform scientific experiments as part of curing terminal cancer on Wade that gives supernatural powers. But for this transformation, Wade had to pay a heavy price. The film focus on the revenge taken by Wilson on Ajax for turning him into his present state of affairs.
So here we have the most unconventional character who does lot of talking, basically humour and nons sense stuff which makes us laugh all the time. At the same time there is action too to make us engaged throughout the entire running time of the film.
Ryan Reynolds perfectly fitted into the role of Deadpool. Covered ninety percent of the film in the Deadpool mask, still he was able to make a deadly presence with his dialogue delivery and at the same time acting out well in the scenes where he appear as the ordinary Wade Wilson. Ed Skrein as the baddy Ajax was a good choice for that role.
Right from the opening title credits which was something novel in terms of presentation,we are transported to the world of Deadpool and gives us what we can expect for the remaining portion.
To be honest, I am literally bored of these super hero films as we have quite a number of them these days following a similar pattern when it comes to the story and presentation part. Now there lies the success of Deadpool as a superhero character that beaks the shambles from the conventional one we are used to seeing till now.
The result is there for us to see as Deadpool makes a grand introduction himself into the big screen from the Marvel comic books. This is a perfect introductry film and we can surely expect sequels that can maintain the same level of entertainment as this one in the follow ups also.
Please be patient and be seated till the entire end credits have rolled down as we have a surprise. There too, the conventional post credit scenes have been given a perfect spoof to make a fitting finale to the film.
Overall, a great entertainer is Deadpool and the character. Maintaining full justice to the title tag ("Big Ass ,Smart Ass, Great Ass") the film is unbelievably funny, smart and witty. Go and grab your tickets for Deadpool the new superhero in town! The rating is four out of five.
Rating - 4 / 5

Feb 12, 2016

Fitoor movie review

There is no better place to narrate a love story than Kashmir. Visual beauty and serenity of this place gives more depth and intensity to movies that have a romantic story to tell. Fitoor directed by Abhishek Kapoor is one such film that is trying to exploit the scenic beauty of Kashmir and at the same time narrating the love story of Noor and Firdaus.
Sadly the substance never gets a facelift and the film just end up as a visually appealing movie and thats it and nothing more. I haven't read Charles Dickens work 'Great Expectations'. Fitoor is a recreation of that novel with a Kashmiri background. Even without reading Great Expectations, I can say that the movie has not done justice to the novel.
Noor,the boy falls in love with Firdaus who is the daughter of Begum Hasrat. Later when they grew up, his love turns into a sort of obsession for Firdaus who decides to marry a Pakistani man. Circumstances bring them together after their early separation in Kashmir to Delhi and rest of the story unwind from here.
The backdrop and the canvas just like the artist in Noor has a poetic feel with the canvas and frames giving an eye candy experience with the visuals looking like classic painting. But that doesn't make a film a complete and impressive one unless the substance and its presentation gets a major significance which unfortunately do not happen for Fitoor.
Lagging for the most part and oozing boredom rather than energy and life, Fitoor ends up below par. Even the presence of a reliable and trustworthy actress in the form of Tabu couldn't do much to save Fitoor. The character she portrayed had lot of mystery surrounding it and it was not a great performance from a person who always comes up with something special each time.
Aditya Roy Kapur as Noor looked out of sorts and couldn't fit in to that role effectively. Katrina Kaif as Firdaus looked beautiful and charming with her coloured hair getting more attention than performance. It was an okay act from the actress who was not able to contribute or add anything more from her side and just sticked on with the screenplay.
Should say Cinematography played a major part in providing richness to the frames to make the film look like a painted canvas. Edits were not bad either. Background score was able to get inside of the various moods in the film.
In one word, I would say Fitoor is disappointing. A boring film with lacklustre performances, this is one film which I wouldn't recommend. Damn particular about watching Katrina or Tabu, then go for it at your own risk. I am going with two out of five for Fitoor and a thumbs down this time to the director of 'Kai Po Che and Rock On!
Rating - 2 / 5

Puthiya Niyamam Malayalam Movie Review

Puthiya Niyamam or a new law is the need of the hour. Whats thats happening in and around us and what we read and see in the media on a regular basis definitely needs a change in law from the authorities.
The new film from A.K Sajan amply justify that and convey the same through a family thriller. There is crime involved here and Puthiya Niyamam uncover that murder mystery and goes further to show how such criminals from a common man's point of view is to handled.
Louis Pothen often called as the divorce advocate is a lawyer and at the same time a TV personality who uses his "Scissors" to do the postmortem of a film. Yes he is a movie critic as well. Vasuki, a Kathakali artist is his wife. They have a daughter and the film tells the story of this family and how a change in character happened to Vasuki. Just stopping here since too much digging on the plot will lead to opening up of the suspense and mystery surrounding the plot that will act as a spoiler.
A.K.Sajan is quite famous and is on a familiar territory when it comes to narrating stories involving crime. He uses that experience here with a screenplay that keeps one guessing till the halfway mark. Midway through, some revelations are made and from there the movie runs on a predictable way until some unexpected twists happening towards the final stages puts the film in a safe zone.
Direction and making is definitely from the old school one but the screenplay though lacks pace gives a good platform to the film to land safely aided by some cool and sharp dialogues. There are couple of loose ends that went uncovered or needed explanations but it was limited.
I was wondering why Mammooty choose this script leaving aside all his work to start this project. Why I am saying this is on the fact that he has very little to play and doesn't have much to do for a major part. The film entirely focus on the character of Vasuki played by Nayanthara. But the ways things gets unfolded towards the end do total justice to his presence and he has done his role in a convincing manner.
Nayanthara as Vasuki and the better half of Louis Pothen has ample screen presence to showcase her acting skills and have emoted well with her eyes doing lot of talking.
On the supporting side, we have S.N. Swamy, Sheelu Abraham, Rachana, Aju Varghese, Sohanlal, Pradeep Kottayam and few more unfamiliar faces. The youths who played the negative characters were impressive.
In the end, its proved that Mammooty has wisely chosen a screenplay that on the number of scenes and prominence he has lost out to the heroine but overall on an importance factor, the character of Louis Pothen is vital to the success of Vasuki as a homemaker. All credits to the actor to select such a project.
The build up is quite slow and A.K Sajan has used that way right till the end to narrate the story. I wouldn't say there is boredom but slight amount of dragness is felt at some places mainly due to the slowness in overall story.
Cinematography coming from a debutant Roby Varghese Raj deserve special mention here. Edits were neat. Gopi Sunder's background score was apt for the scenes involving thrills and loved that Kathakali tone in the score. But there was repetitive use of a tune whenever our hero appears and it was not that pleasing for the ears.
On the whole, here is a crime thriller that cannot be compared with the usual thriller films belonging to the same genre. Devoid of any high voltage sequences and moving at a very sluggish pace, Puthiya Niyamam without hearing and knowing about the suspense elements is a good movie that can satisfy the fans as well neutral audience. My personal rating is three and a half out of five.
Rating - 3.5 / 5

Feb 5, 2016

Maheshintay Prathikaaram malayalam movie review

Out of the two releases this weekend, this one was keeping a low profile with limited publicity. Being an underdog when compared to the other one, Dileesh Pothen's Maheshintay Prathikaaram gets a very silent release without any fanfare.
About this film produced by Aashiq Abu, it has a very simple storyline and is presented in a very simple way. The situations without any melodramas and noisy moments makes one satisfied after watching. Yes for me it was a satisfying experience providing good humour and no dramas. There is no tension while watching and at the same time no pressure as well. You can sit through in a relaxed fashion and see the protagonist taking revenge as said in the title but not in the usual way we have seen when it comes to taking revenge on a person.
Location is our beautiful Idukki where our protagonist Mahesh is a photographer running a studio. He is in love with his childhood sweetheart Sowmya. At some point, the film has s turning point from where the story is taken further.
Dialogues are not complex and characters are that we see in villages. There is utmost sincerity in each and every character that we see in a typical village life something that is eluding us since the change in lifestyle is taking away all such things.
The backdrop through which the story is presented is all too familiar to us. There is light humour,there are some emotional moments and there is romance too. So its a good package bottled well for a decent watch with family.
One would find that the pace is on the slower side and the film gets an abrupt ending. But according to me, that unexpected ending is a different one. No one would expect that the film is getting a full stop there but had they taken the film further, it would be an exaggerated one and in the process it could have lost its natural flavour.
Director Dileesh Pothen who is making his debut can definitely keep his head high. He has done a neat job with the script he had on offer and executed it very sincerely. Nice visualisation of a simple and lighthearted theme.
Fahadh Fazil who is going through a lean patch at the box office, has chosen a good screenplay in Maheshintay Prathikaaram. As the protagonist, he was able to emote really well in conveying the innocence of the character. Anusree played her part as Sowmya, Mahesh's love interest. Shoubin Shahir in his trademark style came and conquered our hearts as Crispy.
Alencier Ley impressed among the supporting actors. Lot of newcomers are introduced by Dileesh. Among them Aparna Balamurali as Jincy was natural in her acting. The guy who did the role of Jinson was also a good choice and didn't look as if he was facing the camera.
Shyju Khalid was impressive with his camera work and his visuals of the beautiful Idukki was an added bonus for Maheshintay Prathikaaram. Same goes for Bijipal's music. Idukki song is remarkably written, tuned and visualised on screen. Sound mixing and design stood out. Edits were also okay.
On the whole, this is an honest approach from Dileesh and his team. Anyone from a family can sit through and relax watching this light hearted film. Humour, songs, romance, emotions are all there put together quite well. I am very much satisfied and going with three and a half out of five for Maheshintay Prathikaaram and a thumbs up to its director.
കമ്മോൺ മിസ്റ്റർ ദിലീഷ്!!!
Rating - 3.5 / 5

Feb 4, 2016

Action Hero Biju Malayalam Movie Review

A ride with a police officer says the tag line of the film "Action Hero Biju" directed by "1983" fame Abrid Shine. But the ride will not be that smooth if you are expecting a tough police story .
The film that has Nivin Pauly donning the police uniform for the first time in his brief but successful career adopt a realistic mode right through the entire running time of one hundred and forty five minutes.
There is nothing to boast about on the story side. Justifying the tag line, the plot just show various cases that Biju Paulose had to handle as a Sub-Inspector of a local Janamaithri Police Station. How he handles them conveying the character inside him is what is Action Hero Biju all about.
In trying to tell such a wafer thin storyline, the problem that the film faces is after the initial part a monotonous feel is felt with nothing much happening. By halfway a sort of incompleteness is felt and one could wonder where the movie is heading towards. A slender hope of something really twisting in the story will happen remain. But we have to accept the fact that its not what we usually see in a cop movie.
Some of the cases like the one Biju faces that have Suraj Venjaramud in the picture and also the one where Rohini plays an important part at one stage will touch our heart and at the same time presented well with lot of emotions involved.
Something is there to be taken as a message too and some lesson are also there right at the end where the film recognises the efforts of police officers who are faced with political pressure while handling cases which is very much true and which we are seeing in front of us.
Humour is there in limited dose and it has worked positively at some places while at some places it looked odd. There was some good laughs when the film took a dig at today's new generation hunks, the ones with those typical hairstyles. And I could see some of the guys inside the theatre with those attire and looks laughing to these scenes.
Nivin Pauly as a police officer didn't go overboard and tried his best as police officer but honestly I felt it was too much for him at some places. This was mostly felt when he had to shout and make some lengthy dialogues. The thing is those scenes were critical to the overall scheme of things and hence it was slightly disappointing.
Anu Emmanuel, poor girl was just casted for namesake as she doesn't have no role to play except appearing in one or two scenes and appearing in that beautiful song. Saiju Kurup, Major Ravi, Joju George, Jude Anthony Joseph, Sohan Seenulal, Kalabhavan Prajod, Rohini and a few unfamiliar actors are part of the supporting actors who did their roles well. Suraj Venjaramud was able make a lasting impression from a brief role. Same is the case with Rohini.
I would say the biggest plus point and highlight of the movie are its songs. The one sung by Yesudas and Vani Jayaram has a soothing effect with its melodious tone and nostalgic feel. The visuals add to the beauty of this song to make us watch this song again. All credits to Jerry Amaldev. A word of appreciation for the sync sound team for the effort they have put in.
In a nutshell I would say the film is a different police story narrated with a realistic approach. Its not the cop film that we are used to see. So those looking for such stuffs will be a disappointed lot. Kudos to Abrid Shine for trying something different but how many of us are ready to accept these changes is the big question.
People looking for real story and guys like me who dig too much for the story part will find nothing in here as this is one film that doesn't give any importance for that. In other words, AHB is not a subject oriented movie. An average experience for me and going with the rating of two and a half out of five.
Rating - 2.5 / 5
P.S - Not the usual police story and not a revenge drama with heavy action. Keep this in mind and lower your expectation level before watching this experimental film.