Sudhir Srinivasan

Lady Bird: A rewarding coming-of-age story that’s unusually warm and deep

“They can’t stand to be together, and yet, they cannot stop loving each other. Perhaps you could say that it mirrors their own feelings about themselves.”

Keni: Too many ideas, too little depth

“You simply get subtitles, which results in the uniquely uncomfortable experience of watching half the film, and reading the other half. I dare say that a more elegant solution would have been to dub over the non-Tamil portions, so you don’t get half a film and half a book.”

Kalakalappu 2: A bloated comedy that gets funnier as it goes

“There aren’t too many directors like Sundar C out there, when it comes to conjuring up hilarious visuals. In one unforgettably funny scene, RJ Shiva’s character keeps sliding down a man’s belly.”

Savarakathi: What if Mysskin wrote Tom and Jerry?

“Pitchai (Ram, who occasionally oversells the theatrics), is a human embodiment of Jerry. He’s cheeky, and he’s constantly running from danger, literally — to almost cartoonish background music by Arrol Corelli.”

Padaiveeran: A surprisingly efficient rural drama

“A few days of friendship cleanses the flaws of a lifetime for Muneeswaran, and that’s a lovely story unto itself. During a particularly sensitive moment, he sits, face buried in his hands, confused over why every person he ever loved hates him for doing the right thing. Padaiveeran makes many deep points without really making a meal out of them.”