It is clear that Meera wants to underline a person's connection to their roots and hometown, while establishing that the heart often wants what it wants. The emotional pull is evident, and the pain of that separation feels authentic. The director never villainises the one making that hard choice to leave. In fact, he acknowledges the realities that drive young people to seek opportunities elsewhere—to fill their stomachs and their wallets. It also has one of my favourite scenes where Abu Tahir’s chacha and chachi find comfort in each other’s’ voices through cassettes as they navigate the pain of mundanity. However, Habeebi places one too many signposts around the downsides of that decision that it unintentionally comes across less as a nuanced exploration and more as a discouragement masquerading as empathy.
Maayakoothu hinges on the question of what happens when art imitates life; what happens when his characters knock on his doors to issue an ultimatum to reflect on his stories. Nagarajan Kannan is extremely convincing as Vasan, a character so nonconformist that even at gunpoint, he is unshakeable in his beliefs. Director AR Raghavendra, along with writer M Srinivasan, crafts a screenplay that is engrossing. Despite limited screenspace, every fictional character written by Vasan is memorable, even when their stories wander around in predictability. The film truly thrives when the lines between fiction and reality blur and ventures into a thrilling narrative. Cinematographer Sundar Ram Krishnan engages the audience with artistic frames in every scene. Even when it does get overwhelming and unnecessary at times, the story is compelling and keeps us glued to our seats.
While it does truthfully depict the struggles of the working class, Gandhi Kannadi never truly harbours the strength it possesses in showing the parallels of love amid changing times. That would have been a story to tell for a lifetime. Unlike Gandhi and Kannamma who experience a multitude of growth and changes, Kathir and Geetha’s conflicts are never resolved until the end. Instead, the team moves around in circles, trying to make a stance politically, and the perils surrounding it—justifying neither of these angles. My angst also stems from the makers building a towering screenplay replete with all the right elements and smashing it themselves with unnecessary death-baiting.
The desperation to make the audience emotionally moved far exceeds the focus on telling a compelling story. For a film on the changing nature of people's colours, its characters are either reduced to black or white. The daughter-in-law or to-be daughter-in-law in every story seems to be based on everyday Tamil soap. They are vengeful, hatred-filled ladies who cannot simply stand their mother-in-laws. Haven't we left this trope for good back in the 90's? These characters merely serve as pawns to put mothers and their sacrifices on a pedestal. If there's any merit, no parent is blamed for raising their children to be the way they are in the film, thankfully. However, you constantly question yourself—why does the storytelling flip down and under when the filmmaking speaks volumes of its technical finesse?
Narayani M of Cinema Express rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, saying, "Despite the lack of surprises, Andhagan holds on to its strongest feature—a solid screenplay" and lauded the cast performances, including those with limited screentime, but felt Priya Anand's character was "extremely unidimensional".
Narayani M of Cinema Express rated this film 2 stars out of 5 stars and noted "The final impression that Bayamariya Brammai provides, is as ambiguous as the title itself—like a delusion that never ceases to provide meaning to life or the events of the everyday world but a delusion nonetheless."
Narayani M of Cinema Express rated two out of five and stated that "Dhonima has its heart in the right place and holds great potential to become a heart-winning drama."
Narayani M of Cinema Express gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Nirangal Moondru allows its characters to breathe, and it takes its time to reach the finish line when the worlds collide and rapid twists are unveiled.
Narayani M of Cinema Express rated the film 1.5/5 stars and wrote "Just like how Bala crashes into a random wedding after drinking like a fish, Petta Rap too takes illogical detours that bring no value to the story."
Narayani M of Cinema Express gave 2/5 stars and wrote "The film does little more than blow the whistle for PT Sir's meteoric rise to bring justice to womenfolk".
Narayani M of Cinema Express gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Just like Iraivan, The Smile Man employs a lethargic and straightforward approach to finding the killer.
