Takes a long while to get going There’s a 15-20 minute block of Yaagavarayinum Naa Kaakka early in the second half that’s thoroughly riveting. I’m talking about the sort of filmmaking that leaves you on the edge of your seat, gasping for breath. The scene’s about a group of friends who make the disastrous mistake…

Reeks of mediocrity Kaaval begins rather ambitiously. It points out, Ramanaa style, that between 1995 and 2014, as many as 34,436 murders took place. If the title didn’t make it obvious enough, this statistic helps you understand that the film’s going for a cat-and-mouse game between policemen and the koolipadai (contract killers), which it claims…

Santhanam plays to his strengths One scene in Inimey Ippadithan makes it amply clear, if it isn’t already, that Santhanam isn’t just a comedian anymore; that he has his eyes set on becoming a proper commercial hero. When Maha (Ashna Zaveri), a girl he has been chasing — most times, literally — tries to get…

A fascinating idea dissipates into romantic fluff If only you could stay in your 20s forever, eh? Here’s a question. If you were immortal, would your life become a collection of happy moments or sad moments? The Age of Adaline asks: Could immortality be a curse disguised as a boon? Adaline (Blake Lively) herself says,…

The joy of watching buildings crumble In one Eureka moment while watching San Andreas , I understood why I loved that last scene of Fight Club so much. There’s something beautiful about buildings being razed, something darkly enchanting about giant structures crumbling into rubble. Remember a similar jaw-dropping scene in Inception when Cobb and Mal…