Cinema: Tamil | Baradwaj Rangan

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The Amateur’s Art #26 – Grey (Tamil, with English subs)

October 22, 2017

See here for what this series is about. A note about this short: Hi sir, this is Sharath, an independent filmmaker form Madurai who is aspiring to make it big on the silver screen. I have been following your blog for a long time, i believe in constructive criticism that would guide an artist grow. […]

“Chennaiyil Oru Naal – 2.”… A silly thriller that barely remembers why Part 1 worked

October 21, 2017

Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/chennayil-oru-naal-2 Chennaiyil Oru Naal 2 (A Day in Chennai – Part 2), directed by JPR, is an oddly named sequel. The events of Part 1 took place in Chennai. This film unfolds in Coimbatore. But that’s the least of its problems. The story gets going […]

“Meyaadha Maan”… A ‘rooted romcom’ with a few problems, but the filmmaking more than compensates

October 21, 2017

Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/meyaadha-maan How does love happen? This process — part-chemical, part-emotional — is easier to write about in a novel (“he felt this”, “she felt that”) than show in the movies, especially if you don’t want to resort to spoon-feeding dialogue. It becomes trickier — as […]

“Mersal”… Vijay lords over a movie that’s better than “Bairavaa”, but is that enough?

October 18, 2017

Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/mersal-movie-review With Mersal (Astonishment), director Atlee continues with his mission to simultaneously giganticise and deflavourise beloved older films. If Raja Rani was an overblown Mouna Raagam and Theri was a watered-down Chatriyan, Mersal is Aboorva Sagotharargal remade as a “mass” movie. I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t Aboorva Sagotharargal itself a “mass” movie? Not quite. It […]

25 years of Thevar Magan

October 17, 2017

Here’s a video essay I did on Thevar Magan, which was released 25 Deepavalis ago. (Gulp! How time flies!) Coming on Thursday. My chat with Santosh Sivan. For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2017 Film Companion.

Interview: Nithilan Swaminathan / Lokesh Kanagaraj, directors of Kurangu Bommai / Maanagaram

October 15, 2017

“Solo”… A quartet of stories that has its moments, but not enough to conceal its flaws

October 5, 2017

Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/solo-movie-review Bejoy Nambiar’s Solo is an anthology of four shorts, anchored by Dulquer Salmaan in four flavours (had the actor been a newcomer, this would have been a heck of a showreel). There are other commonalities. Each segment spans four years. Each one features Dulquer […]

“Karuppan”… A collection of cliches that the leading man does his best to salvage

September 29, 2017

Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/karuppan-movie-review There’s one interesting quirk in R Panneerselvam’s Karuppan: the songs that are referenced throughout. At a time most films are content to make the mandatory nod to Vijay and Ajith (and we do get that here, with bits of Aaluma doluma and Chella kutti), […]

“Hara Hara Mahadevaki”… A dreadful “adult comedy” that’s neither all that adult nor much of a comedy

September 29, 2017

Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/hara-hara-mahadevaki-movie-review Hara Hara Mahadevaki, which advertises itself proudly as an adult comedy, opens with a politician who wants to become Chief Minister by bombing… something. I have to make a confession here. I am not going to be able to give you any specifics, for […]

“Spyder”… A pretty decent god-vs-demon tale,with a solid hero and a spectacular villain

September 27, 2017

Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/spyder-movie-review The pre-interval stretch of Spyder may be the best thing AR Murugadoss wrote and directed. It has the resonance of myth. We witness the birth of the villain, the birth of Evil, in a graveyard — a cut whisks us from the wails of […]

Interview: Santosh Sivan

September 26, 2017

Coming on Thursday. My chat with Santosh Sivan. For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW “I like big films… You are in the midst of mass people.” “I don’t need to do much to make Mahesh Babu look good.” “Thuppakki was the first time we used digital cameras.” “With Thalapathy, […]

“Valladesam”… A wannabe thriller done in by bewildering stylistic choices, amateur actors

September 25, 2017

Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/valladesam-movie-review Valladesam (All-powerful Nation) opens with a black screen – an unseen woman utters these words, “I’ve been hurt. Help!” Subsequently, a man is burnt alive, another man is shot dead in front of his wife and little girl, a family is massacred… In short, […]

Interview: AR Murugadoss

September 22, 2017

I had a very nice chat with AR Murudoss, talking about his heroes — from Dheena to Spyder — and their ‘heroism.” For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2017 Film Companion.

Interview: Prithiviraj

September 21, 2017

Interview: Anu Hasan

September 19, 2017

Anu Hasan talks about doing stunts, not doing the same roles, on whether she discusses her career with Mani Ratnam, Su hasini and Kamal Haasan, on nepotism and her famous surname, on playing sisters and mothers, and the culture shock between foreign and Indian productions. Copyright ©2017 Film Companion.

“Magalir Mattum”… This women’s-lib drama is a much-needed movie, and should have been a much better movie

September 15, 2017

Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/magalir-mattum-movie-review One of the best scenes in Magalir Mattum begins with a housewife — Subbulakshmi (Saranya Ponvannan) — speaking to a camera, making an ad. She dreams of becoming a beautician. But soon, reality beckons. An ailing (and complaining) mother-in-law whose bedpan needs to be […]

“Thupparivalan”… An entertaining mystery, even if it engages the head more than the heart

September 14, 2017

Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/thupparivalan-movie-review The last time Mysskin made a movie with a big-name hero (Jeeva), we got the underwhelming Mugamoodi. Will the whelm-o-meter needle sink lower, now that our most idiosyncratic filmmaker has roped in a bigger-name hero (Vishal), who’s also the producer? All doubts are dispelled […]

“Neruppuda”… A not-bad masala movie helped by constant twists

September 9, 2017

Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/neruppuda-movie-review In the opening scenes, Ashok Kumar’s Neruppu Da (Fire!) lives up to that title. A carelessly tossed matchstick results in a blaze that begins to consume several houses. Guru (Vikram Prabhu) and his four friends — as children, they vowed to become firefighters — jump […]

“Kathanayagan”… An “entertainer” that can’t decide how exactly to entertain you

September 8, 2017

Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/kathanayagan-movie-review Thambidurai (Vishnu Vishal) is in love with Kanmani (Catherine Tresa). Her father is not in love with the idea of Thambidurai as a son-in-law. So Kanmani hatches a plan. When Thambidurai is alone at home, sleeping, she sneaks in and lies next to him. […]

“Kadhal Kasakuthaiya”… A love story that doesn’t know what to do with its odd premise