The situation isn’t entirely new for a Tamil film: a Tamil man, Mukund (Sivakarthikeyan), enters a Malayali household to seek the hand of their daughter, Indhu (Sai Pallavi). In Tamil cinema lore, such scenes often signal trouble. In Autograph, Cheran’s character faces a quick rejection, a violent ejection. In Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, Simbu’s character meets a…
Month: October 2024
Vettaiyan Movie Review: Much to be happy about, despite some misgivings
In among the best stretches of Vettaiyan, the friend of an accused—both hailing from the slums—is being interrogated for his assistance in facilitating the latter’s escape, and the police eagerly slap their biases on them. Director TJ Gnanavel quietly, and subtly captures the indignation of these two young men at various times, as they square…
Joker: Folie à Deux Movie Review: A brave, indulgent idea that isn’t easy to root for
Can we truly grasp how many people live inside us—or who we could become? There are moments, as we look in the mirror—much like Arthur Fleck does—when the reflection staring back feels alien, a stranger wearing our skin. Now imagine the world glorifies that reflection, craves it. What remains of our humanity when we are…
Meiyazhagan Movie Review: This conversation film swells with vulnerability and emotion
In one of many, many tender moments in Meiyazhagan, Arul (Arvind Swami) returns to his hometown as an adult and sees, no, feels the presence of an adult elephant walking behind him—an elephant he knew and loved as a teenager. In another film, you might expect him to approach the animal, exchange a few words,…
Sudhir Srinivasan 