I would agree if you were to call O Kadhal Kanmani a comeback of sorts for Madras Talkies, the production house but I have my own reasons to argue against if one were to claim the film is a comeback for director Mani Ratnam.
This movie is just another ghost story built on its tested formulaic story with ample humour. While trying to simply reap the success of its predecessor without making an effort to better itself, it ends up serving the same old cold soup which the audience would rather gulp down and get over with it instead of relishing it – Kanchana 2 is not someone who you would want to meet again!
These days it is pretty easy for any movie with a usual plot to be branded as ‘New wine in an old bottle’. But OK Kanmani for many reasons doesn’t fall into that category. When the lead pair takes the screen by storm and you have some real heavyweights wielding the camera and the microphone, you can bet your money on the entertainment that you are bound to receive. Add the heart-warming BGMs and renditions to the mix, romance just went up a notch!!
1983 is a realistic take on the innocent cricket madness entwined with a pinch of romance and a dash of satire. It is the ultimate coming-of-age story of every Indian cricket fanatic whose dreams of being a cricketer have been bulldozed by one of society, family or tight circumstances.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshi has to cater to two different kinds of audiences -- those who are familiar with Byomkesh and those who aren’t. Dibakar Banerjee has managed to tread that fine line with immense finesse. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is a must-watch, especially for those who are not smitten by Sherlock Holmes. With a stunning build-up, it keeps you guessing till the very end. It is laced with elements that will make you rack your brains. Watch it for an amazing story and an even better execution.
Stalking can be scary and to get to know that having sex makes evokes an evil stalker destined to kill you – 'It Follows' has just the right kind of base to make one hellish horror movie, but it fails to capitalize on the good work by the technical crew and is driven around borderline normalcy by its confusing execution. What you get is 100 minutes of suspense sans much of fear and turns out to be just another ordinary thriller movie.
Adoor Gopalakrishnan said, 'Samskara marks a departure from traditional South Indian cinema' and his words couldn’t have been more true ‘cause this film is certainly a path-breaker challenging the established customs & rituals. No wonder it was initially banned by the censor board but it is heartening to see that the film was allowed to come out in 1970 & it won the Golden Lotus (Swarna Kamal) Award for that year from India. Deserved would be an understatement.
2015 kicked off with the Pongal releases & right in the middle of the mix was Shankar’s Vikram starrer ‘I’ – arguably, the most expected film of the year! GV Prakash’s litmus test as an actor came in the form of Darling & the maverick SJ Suryah got back after a hiatus through his Isai. Then came another heavyweight film in the form of Gautham’s comeback vehicle of sorts, Yennai Arindhaal followed right after by KV Anand’s Anegan.
Films are customarily categorized as good, bad and the ugly - And then there is a critic-proof phenomenon like the Fast and Furious franchise that amalgamates all these features. What does one expect out of an action movie - death-defying stunts, smack-in-the-face cinematography, ultra-fast cars, outlandish one-liners and above all non-stop entertainment – you have it all. Laws of Physics do take a back-seat; but you soon realize you aren’t sitting in a science class. It is the Fast & Furious movie and it is meant to be that way!!
‘Komban’ is that specially made concoction with a neat emotional story as its base, which is enhanced with favours of rural culture and related personality traits and topped off with near perfect performances from the cast and crew to make it an ultimate commercial success doubling up as a good- to-watch family entertainer that is sure to captivate one and all!
