Avinash Ramachandran

in Cinema Express

One can't move past the assembly line of scenes that feel lifeless just because it preaches the right things.

in Cinema Express

That is the problem that plagues debut director Ramachandran Kannan’s Ram and Leela: neither does it have its heart in the right place, nor does this experiment yield promising results. It tries too hard to play around with the form only to end up as a convoluted mess.

in The New Indian Express

While it is understandable that the protagonists are accorded the ‘mass’ moments in the film, Subash understands the need for pitting them against all-powerful villains.

in The New Indian Express

One such film was Chella Ayyavu’s Gatta Kusthi (2022), a seemingly entertaining ride about the ill effects of misogyny and the inherent need for women's empowerment in society.

in The New Indian Express

Happy Raj’s major drawback is its incessant need to wring out a romcom from a stirring emotional drama. While it is commendable that the meet-cute romance between Happy and Kavya is wrapped up very quickly, the film needed to be a little more coherent without resorting to mindless one-liners that might evoke a chuckle but are a distraction. It wanted to go for the Yaaradi Nee Mohini vibe of a stuttering newcomer falling in love with a confident mentor, but it takes the comic route to get there. While this detour is definitely interesting, the film doesn’t go all out with the humour. This means the comedy weighs down the romance, and the humour gets watered down by the love.

in Cinema Express

He embarks on a path to redemption courtesy a clever director, a compelling script, a convincing ensemble, carefree masala-cinema sensibilities, and, of course, good ol’ money.

in Cinema Express

The fact that Korea is not explored enough is a major drawback, as many other aspects leave us with a sense of déjà vu. The arc of a naive and innocent woman with dreams in her eyes, being left to fend for herself in a foreign city, is something that Kangana Ranaut’s Queen has already done. The same film’s shadow looms large over Made in Korea when Shenba makes friends with the locals. Apart from a wonderful scene that evokes the beautiful idea that music has no language, Shenba doesn’t make friends organically. It is all too convenient, and this is the film's biggest issue. Everything is too manicured and perfect that the film fails to put the soul in Seoul.

in Cinema Express

If someone asks a man if he wants to remarry, he would just say a simple 'Yes'... and here you are, having to explain so much...

in The New Indian Express

Nevertheless, Nooru Saami is firmly Selvi's story, and the film is in steady territory when it paints a stark picture of her dreaded reality. Apart from a random conversation with her sons' primary school teacher (Aruldoss), we don't see her lament even once to anyone. Does she have friends? Does she have anyone who will just sit next to her to listen to what happens in a day? As they say, loneliness is a pandemic, and Swasika wonderfully encapsulates the crushing pain of being alone. Sasi builds these scenes beautifully as he shows how society finds its own way to keep a woman caged, giving it the illusion of it being her own choice. While it is understandable that some scenes have to be pronounced, Nooru Saami actually revels in its subtlety.

in Cinema Express

The reason the film feels more like a letdown and a wasted opportunity is the pedigree of its performers. When you have veterans like Jayaram and Urvashi, you expect them to do much more than what they did in, say, Madhuchandralekha (2006). They perform and react in an old-school style that isn’t quite charming here. They do get a few hilarious one-liners here and there, but largely, it is a forgettable outing. Sanjana comes out largely unscathed because her performance and timing are a couple of clicks ahead, and the pace is refreshing. Ananthika dials up the naivete, but is given a raw deal as a character that you don’t really root for. Mysskin is the only one who clearly had a lot of fun as the sketchy inspector, and more often than not, that gets translated.

in The New Indian Express

See, one might argue that one shouldn’t look for logic in such films. But the point is, Parimala and Co. is not a comic caper like Seena Thaana, where anything goes. It is designed as a smart whodunnit that explores multiple angles, ranging from stalking, drug dealing, murder, death, threats of gendered violence, and a lot more. It is almost like an Agatha Christie murder mystery, with a dysfunctional family at its center. But when the smarts don’t actually translate on screen, the only thing bright is the display on your mobile phone that you fiddle with because the film ends up being what it shouldn’t be in any circumstance... You know what.

in Cinema Express

If Radikaa is the heart, and the world of Thaai Kizhavi is the soul, some of the greatest hits of Kamal Haasan are the chords that tug at the heartstrings of the soul. Sivakumar Murugesan’s usage of these songs and the hyper-localised characters adds so much sheen to the narrative that Thaai Kizhavi is on top gear right from the first frame. What really keeps the film ticking is giving each of the principal characters a great scene, and the dialogues that has such authenticity that even when the film ventures into preachy territory, we never flinch. Sivakumar isn’t interested in this kind of theatrics. However, it doesn’t stop him from giving his characters a monologue or two to establish the film's moral compass. Here, the melodrama works. This astute understanding of when to dial up the drama, when to dial up the fun, and when to dial them both down reflects a filmmaker with a firm grasp of his craft.

in Cinema Express

This beautiful oscillation between magic and chaos is the crux of director Madhan’s debut film, With Love.

in Cinema Express

Despite having a fantastical element at the centre of things, Vaa Vaathiyaar is Nalan's most simplistic and straightforward film.

in Cinema Express

As long as the film stays focussed on the antics of Nirmala, Maddy, Sanjay, and the young baby at the centre of it all, Vishwanath and Sons is the thorough family entertainer that Indian cinema desperately needed. However, once it shifts to the story of Anjali (A miscast Raveena Tandon) and her daughter Meghana (Bhavani Sre), Vishwanath and Sons becomes a drag and a half.

in ·

·