DUNKIRK (2017) - Review

A movie about survival, a story based on the evacuation and not on the ‘Battle of Dunkirk’. Chris Nolan took a piece of a historical event happened during WWII and converted into a brilliant movie.

Highlights: Wonderful editing and Innovative Screenplay - what Nolan films are constantly best at.

Supporting actors are sprinkled all over. The characters are not developed well; therefore I couldn’t care much about any of them except Tom Hardy.

Hans Zimmer’s soundtracks are pure bliss to hearing organs as it has always been.

A movie must balance the two key factors, style and substance. Even if one goes out of proportion, then it may lead to the downfall of entire work. I think Dunkirk balances both style and substance at the same level. A bit more of style than substance to be precise, kudos to the cinematography genius Hoyte van Hoytema and those high resolution IMAX film cameras.

Overall, a spectacular job from the crew. Many accolades await them.

Reducing the dialogues and focusing more on the conflict was a smart move, which was previously done by Kubrick and Spielberg in their works. It’s good to see Nolan following their footsteps. I wouldn't even mind if the dialogues were completely reduced. This has so much potential to be a great silent film.

Apart from a single quote in the 3rd act, the film casually ignores the French involvement in the evacuation. Well... this is an English movie at a Hollywood budget and does the job as so. It’s such a shame on how the movie shows the whole incident just from the British perspective. If another 20 minutes was dedicated to the French’s contribution, the movie would have been monumental. That being said, this is nothing new, usual Hollywood recipe.

2hrs and 30 minutes is the average runtime of a typical Nolan film. To compare it with this 1hr 50 minutes war drama, along with these undeveloped characters struggling for their survival  -VOID - The miracle in the climax was supposed to give us goosebumps or at least something to cheer but in end, I couldn’t feel anything other than emptiness. There is no doubt that the film was crafted well (both visually and the way story was told) but what use does it have when it lacks emotions? This is a war film. Give us some gore, bloodshed, real struggle, pain to witness Mr. Nolan. Make us uncomfortable, feel pity. We don’t want extras lying around pretending dead. These are the areas where Black Hawk Down and Saving Private Ryan really shine.

Did Nolan reach the heights of S Kubrick? Definitely not, there is not even a comparison, not yet. I would still pick Dr. Strangelove over Dunkirk any day. There are many positives to be noted from this 110 minute lesson for the aspiring writers and filmmakers. But also few negatives Nolan must make a note for himself.

Dunkirk is a classic and will remain so, for the years to come, at least from the Hollywood and British point of view.

This is one of the good movies of this year, if not the best and that’s my opinion.

A solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐⛥.

Nothing more, nothing less.

REVIEW: NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (2016)

*Minor Spoilers*

Since trailers nowadays reveal almost everything, they are nothing but shame. Between the mixed and positive reviews, I decided to hit Nocturnal Animals with zero expectations, after i barely saw the poster and knew nothing except the leads.

The film being a thriller, shows a brief introduction of the play, later takes the audience where they would want to be in the First Act without wasting much time. There is no doubt that Amy adams is having the best year of her career. About to become 36, Jake Gyllenhaal has already proven us what he's capable of. While other actors/celebrities crawling and crippling just for the sake of reaching the Oscar Statuette, Gyllenhaal delivers his top-notch performance yet again with ease. Aaron Taylor-Johnson for a surprise and Michael Shannon, are amazing and providing equal supporting roles respectively. A rare occasion where we see such Intensive performances between the casts.

Breathtaking screenplay which speaks clear for itself and never tries to do too many things at once. Though most of the script is based on the novel but handling the parallel-intersecting narrative is made so viewer friendly; all kudos to the brilliance in editing. Stunning cinematography and Abel Korzeniowski's vintage touch in the score makes the thriller even more gripping.

After halfway through, wondering how the conclusion might be, in terms of quality. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. that's why every trick has a third act, the hardest part, where the answer lies.. and Dir. Tom Ford plays the safe game.

As the end credits roll, I left my seat with a smile, asking the filmmaker in mind "So, this is your trump card?"

Verdict: Nocturnal Animals is a frightening-malicious thriller crafted so well that it leaves a heavy impression on the audience with its simple yet powerful plot. Whether it may or may not get the attention from the Academy, NA is arguably one of the best films of this year; and one of a kind.

Rewards Satisfaction when expectations are sacrificed.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) ~ Review

Contains*Minor Spoilers*

After all the hype and nearly a decade wait, did Episode VII of Star Wars live upto the expectations? To begin with the cast, leading in the front, John boyega and Harrison ford, both of them did exceptionally well. Would have been more better if Rey didn't sound british or Kylo ren wasn't another whinny Anakin. Just kidding, he is way better than George lucas's Anakin was, of course. Oscar issac and Domhnall gleeson were pretty decent in their respective roles as well. Captain phasma was nothing but a mere cameo. Han and Chewie combo, such a treat to watch! John williams's nostalgic background scores, a masterpiece! and the standout Rey's theme simply nailed it.

The concept of the storyline is similar to one of the previous episodes, which makes us to think "Have the writers ran out of new scripts that they decided to make the new trilogy, a mashup remake, beginning all over again?" Well placed action, CGI and humour kept the movie even alive and rolling; building up to the element of surprise. Few flaws pops up but are not too serious to be considered when the movie gives you one heck of a ride.

There are no major plot holes. Alas, the screenplay is predictable in some parts. Overall, a good package. As a fan of Star wars, couldn't expect a better christmas present. For those, who shall complain, be thankful that it came out better than all the prequel trilogy. Yes, I mean all -including Revenge of the sith. Thanks to the man behind everything, J.J.Abrams, for bringing the magic into the big screens with no less satisfaction! Didn't he do well to save the franchise and undo all the damages done by the first two episodes?

Verdict: 
THE AWAKENED FORCE: Close to A NEW HOPE!
Flattering adventure :)

Rating: 8/10

Spider-Man to appear in "Captain America: Civil War"; Sinister Six Delayed

As you know by now, Marvel and Sony have struck an agreement that will bring Spider-Man into the Marvel cinematic universe. Many details were left out of the announcement, but more information is spilling out here and there.

The announcements states, "The new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film from Marvel's Cinematic Universe "but it doesn't say which film. This is where The Wall Street Journal has stepped in with a new report confirming a Spidey appearance in Captain America 3:

The two companies said late Monday that Spider-Man will appear in an upcoming Disney-produced Marvel super-heroes movie; that movie is 2016's "Captain America: Civil War", according to a person with the knowledge of the matter.

We also know that the next solo Spider-Man film, which is being co-produced by Marvel and Sony Pictures, will arrive in 2017. The Wall Street Journal also claims that Andrew Garfield is out, as there will be "a new version of the web-slinger."

And what does this new deal mean for The Sinister Six movie Drew Goddard ("Cabin In the Woods") has been working on for over a year?

Sony Pictures Entertainment Brings Marvel Studios Into The Amazing World Of Spider-Man http://t.co/8ni1EUEYv4 pic.twitter.com/gpWDnUqGD4

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) February 10, 2015

Sony will delay its planned release of "The Sinister Six", about a group of Spider-Man villains, in wake of the new deal said a person involved in movie. It had been scheduled for release in November of 2016. - WSJ

Vellai Illa Pattathari (2014) ~ Review

       Dhanush certainly marked his own unique style in Indian Cinema yet imitating his father-in-law has become a routine for him recently. Anirudh scores again as usual! Although source for some of his composed tunes belongs to middle-eastern musicians, this guy has got something huge coming to him (No sarcasm). Thankfully, the film maker avoided awkward romances in foreign soil for a good for nothing duet., which is really a big thing to appreciate in modern kollywood movies. Amala Paul (Shalini) living next door to the hero can be seen in her house terrace 24*7 or driving her car. Good contributions from Saranya and Samuthirakani, who reprise their role as parents for the protagonist. This movie is a compilation of Dhanush's previous flicks Thiruvilayaadal aarambam, Padikathavan and Yaaradi nee mohini. Same old concept which has been used in tamil cinema since 90's is repeated here. The end credit says "The film is dedicated to engineering students and VIP's" has no stuff to inspire the so-called VIP's.

Rating: 6.0/10

Verdict:
#VIP - Vettiya Iruntha Paarunga (Watch it if you're free)
Just another crowd pleasing commercial entertainer.

Amazing Spider Man 2 (2014) ~ Review

    One of the best adaptations from the comics. Quality piece of work again from Hans Zimmer, really intriguing stuff. There aren't much appalling qualities as far as the script is concerned except there's no strong or reasonable story behind why the guys (villains) had to turn against Spider-man all of a sudden? Decent screenplay from Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner. Director Marc Webb made good use of leading artists. The Relationship between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy is a highlight. I still wonder why the movie didn't hit the Box Office. People are forced to believe the false pretense because of some anonymous reviews and ratings. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Verdict:
Amazing Spider-man never fails to amaze us in the sequel. A Special treat for superhero movie lovers and Spidey fans.

Veeram (2014) ~ Review

Focusing the high resolution device on the star, forwarding it in slow motion, who already has a slow walk. Simultaneously keep playing the only composed soundtrack from start till the end. That's it... I'm tired of watching this same old crap right from Billa, Mankatha to Arrambam.. and now Veeram. It's useless to expect for a change in future. Other than that, directors are making good use of Ajith in recent flicks, taking out only what he's capable of., instead of over doing anything silly. And all of a sudden, things got worse after the intermission. By the shaved look of our ultimate star.. Nasser, who plays father of a novice actress keeps calling ajith as 'thambi'.. I think he really means that :D (or perhaps he was thinking him as 'samanthi' the whole time :P and it became a twist for him at the end) 

Quality of the movie is almost as bad as Siruthai, saving the first part with Santhanam and leaving the next part going berserk. Siva was targeting to reduce the budget of the entertainer, so he started with Ajith's costume i.e wearing the white combination throughout 2 hrs and 41 mins. Songs are well placed but misplaced. The copy-paste king DSP will never disappoint us.

Rating: 5/10

Verdict:

Veeram now holds the record of the longest dhoti commercial! ;) and takes a heavy toll on poor audiences :/

Note: Nobody is against commercial movies if it is made good.

WINNER OF PONGAL RACE:
People who avoided  #Jilla & #Veeram. I salute those who saved their penny /\ Fans are fighting for the better among abysmal.

Jilla (2014) ~ Review

For the price of one, we were shown five films (From Godfather, Aiyaa to Dheena) and witnessed one of the poorest screenplay in the history of Tamil cinema. No wonder R.T.Neason was Remake Raja's assistant. Each and every punch dialogue's of the Malayalam star begins with his role name 'Shivan' and hearing after umpteenth time, i totally forgot his real name by the end of the movie :P All i could do, is to sit back with my hands on my head, squirmed, grimaced during the whole gruesome first half.

I see many people, who say Jilla is like Pokkiri-2, but in-spite the fact of pokkiri being a Telugu remake, it was lot better in many ways. Vijay imitating his own acting and style from the later one didn't look any better and seemed ridiculous. Poor dialogue delivery from him (Similar to Pokkiri). Changing the voice modulation doesn't work for him. I'm surprised to hear that the flick is called blockbuster, when even a follower of the actor like me couldn't take it more! D.Imman's music was good but didn't provide the powerful frequency when it was most needed. Yet again, Sampath - the only highlight in the cast and rest are just a showcase. There are not many applauding factors in this Pongal potboiler.

Rating: 5/10

Verdict: 

Vijay failed to start the year with high note.

Jilla disappoints: This will be a bitter truth to his fans.

Biriyani (2013) ~ Review

All the key ingredients are properly mixed and served. There isn't much to criticize about the story or the movie. Venkat Prabhu mastering the commercial formula, covers our South-Indian audiences really well with the masala feast which is what needed the most considering our current trend. As a result, everyone came out pleased with the way things went. 

The Director finally manages to end Karthi's 2 Year diet. But the worrying part is.. he's either trying something new in the wrong way or doing something wrong in the right way. At-least in future i hope that he doesn't give unnecessary importance to his goofy brother or use the names, dialogues, songs or visuals of other famous celebrities to gather cheap publicity. Well forget that... that is never going to happen :| I still wonder why such a creative talent like Venkat prabhu is planting other's idea and style in his features when he has got his modus operandi of film making?

Coming to the cast, most of them has got nothing to do with the story and are appearing among titular guest roles, including Hansika Motwani. Mandy thakkar, a serious deception! Good use of camera and pacy screenplay are the extra scores to the exuberant entertainer. Some of the scenes are utterly copied (eg., from 21 Jump Street). Meanwhile, the movie being U1's 100, the hit albums & tracks from Hollywood to Kollywood are playing a huge contribution than Yuvan's music.

Rating: 6/10

Verdict:
The Movie will be a big hit commercially ! Otherwise, it's just an Ok movie with some plot holes IMHO.

My Dear Director Saar,
Biriyani la piece'u mattum hot ah iruntha pothathu :P Better try to come up with something new ji (No-offense) :P

Irandam Ulagam (2013) ~ Review

Selvaragavan clearly following the footsteps of Darren aronofsky. Yet again his intelligence comes to play. The Title depicts the whole story, which showcases love & death. The Plot and things like switching the screenplay to parallel universe simultaneously reminded me of 'The Fountain (2006)'. Bunch of mistakes in the 1st half spoiled the fun. Second half is all about fighting the dumbest chauvinistic evil force. The Unknown second world contains contrasting visuals. Be it fantasy, including too much colorful essence to the celluloid was not a brilliant idea. Nevertheless, fabulous picturization. By this time, Ramji must be receiving adulation for his spectacular work.

The esoteric mythical love story taking place in another world is more or less a sparkling fairly tale and likely be told to kids during bed time. Budget cannot be an excuse all the time for bad visual effects. If budget is a constraint, it's best not to even try doing such a shoddy job (i.e applying hue tones everywhere in the field or showing dragon like creatures always flying around just because it's an alien planet).

Anushka's performance, a huge let down. I didn't expect anything from Arya because i know time and again he'll prove why he's a half-talented hero :P Our fellow audiences lost in translation trying to understand the motive. Aayirathil Oruvan had a strong story and made a tremendous impact. Even though Mayakkam enna was partly inspired from 'A Beautiful Mind (2001)', it was beautiful at some stages whereas Irandam Ulagam failed to deliver the hidden intensity. The director who preached the importance of love in his flicks Kadhal Kondein and 7G Rainbow colony in a distinctive way couldn't able to do the same in the fantasy world. Most of the play should have been improved. As i mentioned earlier, every good movie gets spoiled by its own content.

My Opinion: 
Don't come to a conclusion after hearing it from anyone (that includes me). Until you watch the film, make no change to your anticipation.

Rating: 5.5/10

Verdict:
Valiant effort from the courageous film maker. All i could see is symptoms of him falling into a trap in the near future. I'm also not sure whether this would be praised by current generation cinema fans.

Krrish 3 (2013) ~ Review

One more Indian-Superhero movie successfully added to the trash. The third installment of Koi... Mil Gaya series -[of which Krrish 2 is still missing] Krrish-3 is a compilation of all the comic superhero characters, particularly concentrated on X-Men. The Story is set up in Mumbai or should i say the whole Mumbai shown, is nothing more than just a unattractive useless Set, thus lacks creativity and originality.

Evergreen and charismatic Hrithik as Krishna (Krrish) battles Supervillain Kaal (Vivek Oberoi) and his mutants. Here kaal has telekinetic powers and moves in a hover chair, imitating Professor-X (which doesn't suit him). Perhaps, V.Oberoi  should stick to gangster films, that's where his ruthlessness looks good. Coming back to Hrithik, he kept nervous whenever things got a bit serious. Even though he played his own father, without much difference to his appearance, it did not seem like both characters were played by the same actor at all. Kangana ranaut plays a role of form-changing female mutant Kaya (Hench-women of Kaal) who later falls in love with Krishna. Apart from these two characters, there is no significant performances could be seen in the screen. Priyanka chopra has been used as a modern sentimental wife every there and then and to remind us that she is still a part of the franchise.

The whole 152 mins or so is entirely based on two concepts "Light is life" and "Fusion is future" but eventually fails to tell what its all about?

Kangana ranaut covers most of the opposite genders by uncovering most of her body, wearing half-naked costumes may help improve glamour but it surely does not make a film like this suitable for children's.

First half was enthusiastic with Krrish's energetic intro. Unfortunately the remaining half couldn't carry the same momentum. Coming to visual effects, even a PS3/XBOX game will have better graphics.
I often keep pondering why the makers are still believing in making songs in these kind of movies.. I know it has become a tradition and indian spectators will always love to watch songs and dance movements but instead of adding another extra cost just for 300 secs romance in a foreign location, why couldn't they rather invest more on VFX? At-least it would reduce the running time.

Climax stunt sequences are entirely copied from Man of Steel. Salim-sulaiman's music never lost the resonance at the crucial stages but Rajesh roshan's songs was not useful in anyway.
Krrish 3 ends in a way that still something left in the series.


Rating: 5/10

Verdict:
With preliminary suspense, it is more a emotional treat than a action based movie, could have been made much better. Another mega budget rip-off :/ Nevertheless, Krrish 3's packaging is fairly pretty yet the Roshan trio's (Hrithik, Rakesh & Rajesh) could not able to provide what the audience really need.

Arrambam (2013) ~ Review

The most wanted person in the most wanted film of the year, the protagonist Ajith Kumar a.k.a Thala, flies from country to country, place to place without getting caught or being noticed by anyone. The same thing happened in his previous blockbuster film Manktha and directors yet again failed to rectify. If i list out all the un-digestible flaws present everywhere in the movie, it may form a mega domino deck :P There's no logic behind most of the sequences. Cliched too much and added to this, we have a goofy villain. Infact, Mankatha was lot better than this in all way respective of the flaws it had. Our devoted fans will try to justify everything so i ain't gonna criticize about anything no more, i'm already done arguing with these people.

Whether its a boat or bike, it is always scintillating to watch him ride :) To admit, background beats were the true savior but even then, it turned out to be exasperating because whenever Ajith walks, the music is tuned-on. It's really effing to watch this stuff since we are dealing with this repetitive matter right from Billa.  For a film to be of better quality, the makers must stop depending upon specific person or their talent alone.Vishnu vardhan failed to bring the quality product. Arrambam is nothing when you take away Yuvan from the crew. It's a good for nothing mediocrity flick. Full of gimmicks.

Rating: 5.5/10

Verdict:
Never bother about the predictability or copied scenes. This one will be delight if you are a Ajith fan or a commercial movie lover. But if you're dedicated thy self to good cinema then stay away from this as you recently did to Thalaivaa and Singam-II (If possible, skip the atrocious All in All azhagu raja as well).

Pandiya naadu (2013) ~ Review

A Typical Tamil commercial film that begins in a way that irks us and soon catches pace thereafter. I never liked Vishal's previous flicks than Theeratha Vilayaatu Pillai but from now on, this would be his best till date and next to Avan Ivan in performance wise. Not enough to be considered as good, at-least he tried something new to come up with. D.Imman's score in the second half -cum- climax pulls the nerves,  an adequate booster! 

Legend Bharathi raja showed the meaning of the famous quote "Revenge is the best form of Emotion". Contributions from Soori, Vikranth and the Sharath (Who plays the antagonist) filled the remaining portion. With awkward films like Rajapaatai and Aathalaal Kadhal seiveer in his list, Suseendran's graph remains mysterious. Viewers cannot find much reasons to despise for it would be a perfect masala treat for tamil audiences, 150 mins of packed entertainment!

Rating: 7/10

Verdict:

Pandiya naadu, unsung winner of this year's Diwali race. Who would have thought?
Anyway, satisfied for 120 bucks;)

Gravity (2013) ~ Review

The outline of the story is all about surviving a space disaster. This is one of the best space adventure films that ever made (Probably this year's best). A masterpiece from Alfonso cuaron. Interesting plot, Intriguing cinematography from Emmanuel Lubezki. Heart pounding Steven Price's background scores, Sensible screenplay, George clooney’s decent supporting role, brilliant visuals and use of CG, Thanks to Tim Webber (VFX).
Everything at its best, all top notch. 

Sandra bullock played the character of her lifetime, a trademark one! Best cinematic experience in 3D. So sad that the running time is only 90 mins for a thrilling space ride. Stop noticing at the scientific flaws because it’s more a fictional and emotional journey than anything else.

Rating: 8/10

Verdict:
 Gravitational force is too strong so“Don't let go” ;)

Escape Plan (2013) ~ Review

Finally, the dream team Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone joining forces to kick ass’es. Sam neill gets to work alongside a couple of dinosaurs yet again! (Arnie & Sly) :P The unusual story is the platform for the movie which is quite unpredictable; this helps to carry out the film with the same intensity till the last stage. Since it’s a never boring commercial script, the plot holes go unnoticed. 

Former terminator Schwarzenegger turns out to be self deprecating humorous person and the whole play has got something to do with him (Revealed at the end). By the way, it was a great fun seeing him back in big screen. Coming to Stallone, in this one he largely depends on his brain matter than relying on his muscle power alone. The only one that stands out terrible is none other than ‘50 cent’. Even the female lead isn’t crucial. But the pace wasn't affected in anyway. My advice is that, this would be an action packed entertainer if things are not taken serious. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Verdict:
Escape plan is more or less a dumb popcorn flick that makes up for its entertainment value.

Raja Rani (2013) ~ Review

"There is a life after love failure!" 

Now, that's what sending a message truly means :') A decent romantic entertainer from Atlee. Brilliant Cinematography and never boring screenplay are the added plus points. Good songs (except one) and background melodies carried the film. Jai's under-dominating role remains unchanged. It doesn't seem contradictory from Engeyum Eppodhum, infantile character but a great piece of acting. Wonderful matured display from Nayanthara and Arya as well. No comments about Nazriya's overacting :p

Total length of the movie should have been reduced. Second part drags at most stages without proper storytelling. Fortunately, Santhanam's usual one-liners's came to the rescue. Expected ending with an unexpected twist.

Rating: 6/10

Verdict:
On the whole, Raja-Rani is a latest version and a compilation of Mouna Ragam (1986) and Rhythm (2000). Couldn't ask more from a debutant kollywood director. Tamil spectators would be pleased but certainly not a hardcore movie buff.

6 Candles ~ Review

The story of the whole flick is a one-liner; similar to Liam neeson's Taken with a strong message. The melodramatic movie shows a doting father's never-giving search to find a way to get back his missing son, who has been kidnapped in beach. Actor Shaam has worked extremely hard after a long come back. Good solo effort from his side, Neat supportive role from Poonam Kaur and the sentimental screenplay from the director made the movie interesting. Some of the scenes went quite dreary and boring. Srikanth deva's songs and bgm gave a good ride throughout but wasn't upto the mark.

It surely won't satisfy commercial movie lovers or those who expect too much. Totally, 6 Candles joins the 'club elite' in Tamil cinema but surely will fail to make an impact at the box office. I really feel sorry for Shaam whose astounding efforts will go in vain if it's not given a required push.

Rating: 6.5/10

Verdict: 
A brave attempt from V.Z.Durai (Mugavari, Nepali), could have been a lot better. People who haven't watched the movie yet, can give a try to this one instead of preferring the local stone-age commercials Ya-Ya or VPVS.

Kick Ass 2 (2013) ~ Review

This one is way too amusing than the previous hit but unfortunately didn't live up to the expectation. The first 80 mins is hilarious, filled with exciting fun factor. Not only it tops in humor, it also strikes the emotional package. Unnecessary role for Jim Carrey, not a vital one but a good cameo i should say. Stunning performances from cutie pie Chloe Grace Moretz and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Everything goes pretty well till things starts to mess up. That moment i braced myself. The more the movie gets serious, more the things got worse. From there on, it went out of control. Those last 15-20 mins are full of flaws and ridiculous. Not a meaningful climax indeed. Updated kick ass gets ready, hopefully he'll not return for the next instalment.

Rating : 5.5/10

Verdict: Kick-ass really kicked my ass :p Can give a try. Cannot compare with the prequel.

Thalaivaa (2013) ~ Review

After getting mixed reviews & most of the plotline revealed well before the release, so i went without any expectations. Those spoilers didn't affect the story in anyway, which is old but different. Movie begins in 1988 in bombay and there comes the title credits which has got nothing to do with the film. First half is quite lengthy, dragging, repeating similar sequences again n again thereby making the portion insipid. Editing could've been better by avoiding unwanted scenes. The awkward moment is when the word "bro" is called more than "sir" used in the film Saroja. Nirav Shah's cinematography, a Visual treat. G.V.Prakash's background scores are pulse-pounding (Not to mention CTRL+C, CTRL+V has also been used)  songs are audio delight. Screenplay is boring in the 1st half & a bit intriguing in the second. Apropos, A.L.Vijay managed to pull things back after the intermission and made good use of the surreal cast. Ending is too familiar. (Thank god, No far-fetched scenes).

Vijay is youthful (as he's always been), his movements are phenomenal and led all the way while Sathyaraj has been a real highlight. He portrayed his role well, their relationship stands as a plus point. Santhanam keeps his timing sense but his whimsical one liner's wasn't catchy and fails to attract the spectators at some stages. Individual performances/contributions include Amala paul, Ponvannan & next dream girl Ragini Nandwani.
In a nutshell, Thalaivaa is a good, decent entertainer and did not screw up much as it is claimed.

Verdict: Will surely be a south-indian commercial hit Worth watching once. Strictly for ardent Vijay fans.

Rating: 6/10

Conjuring (2013) ~ Review

*contains spoilers

James wan, creator of Saw and Insidious, widely known for awry horror genre has kept his touch in this one too. Good cinematography by John R.Leonetti and exceptional screenplay writing from the twin brothers Chad and Carey Hayes imbued with Joseph Bishara's sudden breath taking background musics in ominously quiet play rode the spectators at the edge of the seat throughout the whole movie, till the last sec. 

The story takes place in 1971, where Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and Roger Perron (Ron livingston) move their family into a dilapidated Rhode Island farm house and soon strange things start happening around it with escalating nightmarish terror. In desperation, Carolyn contacts the noted paranormal investigators, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), to examine the house. What the Warrens discover is a whole area steeped in a satanic haunting that is now targeting the Perron family wherever they go. To stop this evil, the Warrens will have to call upon all their skills and spiritual strength to defeat this spectral menace at its source that threatens to destroy everyone involved.

Only worrying part is, the same old story which is being used for creepy movies since 1980's. Ending is too predictable, it could have been better. Since it's based on true events, so couldn't ask for more nor can complain. Protagonist couples investigating paranormal activities is something new. Kirk M.Morri's editing kept the momentum going. Not much visual effects needed so CG not over poured but placed wherever required. Finally, have to tell about the direction, James Wan really stands tall above all. Ending left with so many questions. Still undoubtedly the best horror/thriller to be witnessed this season.

Verdict: 

Conjuring --> Mind blowing.
A Masterpiece by wan and crew. Must watch.

Rating: 7.5/10