The opening credits of Ennul Aayiram are shown amid quick black-and-white shots of a gun cocking, vehicles hastening in traffic, a woman running her fingers through her hair… It’s all rather dark, literally, and sets you up for a thriller. So, you don’t really mind the rigmarole of introductions: the hero, Ashok (Maha), is part…
Category: Film Reviews
Jithan 2: Phantom menace
Watch the trailer here. (Also, I’m sorry I made you.) When you step into films like Jithan 2, you don’t quite expect to get blown away. You already know, at least on evidence from the trailer, that the film will only be so-so in aspects like technical finesse, storytelling subtlety, and acting prowess. What you…
Hello Naan Pei Pesuren: Phony movie
A horror-comedy whose comedy is horrific and whose horror is comical
Valeba Raja: Shrink-wrapped
Check the trailer here. I’ve always been awed by laughter yoga practitioners, by how they will themselves into voluntary laughter, and sustain it for so long. But they have a new challenge in town in the form of Sai Gokul Ramanath’s Valeba Raja, which has finally released after threatening to for the last two years. Try laughing…
Sawaari: Not enough thrills, not enough laughs
It’s becoming increasingly evident that a lot of our new filmmakers have been raised on Western cinema. The visual treatment of the opening scene of Sawaari reminds you of the neo-noir visuals of Sin City. It’s all black and white, except for a burning cigarette. There are slo-mo shots of the smoke. There’s much darkness inside the car,…
