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Reviews
Subramaniapuram (2008)
Pure art
Subramaniapuram lands itself into probably the top 10 gangster movies ever made. It plays out like a Shakespearean tragedy. Throughout the entire second half there's this overwhelming sense of anxiety, as though you can just feel something really terrible is going to happen to our main characters.
The acting is very convincing. Especially between the actors playing Alagar, Paramam, and Dumka. You know that they'd do anything for one another.
The last 20 minutes are really tragic and hard-hitting, and we just knew it would happen all along, but the build up towards it makes it so so impactful.
Really liked how the movie payed great attention to establishing a 1980s scenario. The Rajini movie in the theatre was probably the most effective instance of this.
Overall a must-watch movie. One of the few films that blended arthouse with commercial cinema.
The Mist (2007)
Terrifying stuff
This film is the most slept on horror movie I can think of. 7.1 is criminal this at least an 8 fr
I dont have any faults with this film except the acting becomes a bit lackluster sometimes, but that's quite common in pre 2010 horror movies (the descent, saw, etc)
The central characters here are great: you got a good mix of very sympathetic characters to absolutely abominable characters. Mrs Carmondy managed to make my blood boil. Another great thing is the comments on human nature, how people get really arrogant in times like these.
The horror was great. The cgi monsters are a bit tacky and goofy at first but they become super unsettling as the movie progresses. And of course, if you watch this you're in for one of the best endings in film. Seriously the ending is up there with the likes of se7en they didn't have to go so hard on it.
Aavesham (2024)
Fafaa's show all the way
This is what you call a theatre experience. I don't think this film would have anywhere close to the impact it had in the theatre
Fahadh Faasil absolutely killed it, his screen presence is just too damn good. Its honestly a crime that he hasnt acted as a mass hero more often, such a blast everytime he was on screen.
As for the film more generally, the plot is almost non-existent but who cares. The music is genuinely brilliant, adding so much energy to the movie. The fight scenes are vibrant.
Something better would've to maybe flesh out the characters of Fahadh's sidekicks (e.g. Amban) a bit more, but considering the film is all about Fahadh we only really need his character to be nuanced and developed, which it truly is.
I can see Ranga becoming a cult character in the Malayalam film industry for sure, what a character, what a performance.
El laberinto del fauno (2006)
It's a bit dull
Ngl this movie wasn't super inventive. I was expecting something special but it's just some goofy ahh fantasy missions in the backdrop of grr franco bad grr republican good Spanish civil war portrayal. I'm not totally sure what the point of the film was, maybe it connects to some Spanish traditional story which is why everyone else found it so moving? To me, it just felt like a watered down version of tumbbad at times.
The acting was good I guess, the characters did the best they could. The storyline is super super basic so i don't really know what everyone's on about giving 10/10 and 9/10 ratings.
Good cinematography, passable costume design, moderate world building.
Jigarthanda DoubleX (2023)
Wammala ithan da cinema
What a powerful heartfelt movie from Karthik Subbaraj, a true love letter to cinema and cinephiles.
Don't go in expecting another Jigarthanda. It's so much more than that. Where Jigarthanda was how art can influence a person, Double X is about art influencing society, building up to a really powerful ending (quite a few people teared up at the end).
KS weaves multiple genres together of action, crime, drama, comedy, thriller together like it's nothing. Finally, Raghava Lawrence demonstrates that he is an actor and not a joker, what a comeback after the Chandramairu 2 (what was that movie)
I'll make this longer later. It's just truly amazing. A real 'wammala ithan da cinema' moment; so far best Tamil film of the year.
Bairavaa (2017)
What did i just watch
I accidentally watched this stupid asf movie and now i need eye bleach
Typical vijay movie, still no idea how he's a star. Save for ghilli, he hasn't got any bangers in his filmography (master was good, that's it)
Anyhow, it had this particular song (varlaam varlaam vaa) which is now one of my favourite songs. That's the reason i give this 2 stars. Otherwise 1 star for sure.
PLOT SUMMARY: hero fights many people, wins girl's heart, does social service, nitrous oxide subplot, assassination of ripoff Modi subplot, nuclear factory subplot, "education is very important!!", directed by Bharathan, credits roll.
Any suggestions for eye transplant or bleach recommendations will be helpful.
Leo (2023)
A just-about good movie
Usually with films that have an insane amount of hype, they turn out to be a disappointment, so it's best not to engage with the hype, and watch the film objectively.
Having done that, I say Leo is a good movie, but only JUST a good movie.
The first half is great, with an odd start of a hyena fight (CGI was bad here), it picks up, leading to an absolutely lit cafe sequence, and the film only gets more fast paced from here until the interval.
The interval ruined the movie for me. It'd have been nice to let us keep guessing whether he's Leo or Parthiban, but they play the 'Mr. Leo Das is a Badass' song, ruining the movie.
And it only gets worse. Since the villains are horrendously written, there isn't really any threat (although their respective BGMs absolutely slap). The flashback is woeful, and Na Ready is laughably placed.
However, the 2nd half still has moments. The scene where Vijay gaslights Trisha is the best scene in the movie, his acting there was stellar. I must say I was blown away by Vijay's acting. Of course, he's no Kamal, or even Rajini, but with enough opportunities he can get there. It's the first time he's been allowed to shine as an actor, and he really does.
The climactic 40 mins is also middling. The car-chase was okay, with sick camera movement but poor CGI. The LCU connect was forced and unsatisfying.
Honestly, there were fan theories better than Leo's story, but thankfully it's saved by a powerhouse performance by Vijay and Anirudh's fire background music.
This is about the same quality as Master, but enjoyed Master quite a bit more. Nowhere near Vikram and Kaithi.
Mark Antony (2023)
SJ Surya masterclass
My man SJ Surya is out here carrying movies on his back. We had the just good Maanaadu elevated by his sheer tour de force as Dhanushkodi, and now Mark Antony. It's a shame as he wastes his best performance on such a terrible film.
My main gripe with the film was not its cartoonish plotting, irritating lead actor, but them using a LITERAL DEAD PERSON as sex appeal for the audience.
That didnt rub well at all, and it's a testament to how weird our society is that people praise it as the best part of the film.
I could go on about how brilliant SJ Surya is, and he did make me laugh boisterously out loud, despite how terrible the film is.
If you remove him, it's a solid 2/10, but his performance is just way too good.
Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare (2023)
A just good movie, which could have been MUCH better
After an offbeat start, the first half of Hostel Hudugaru is absolutely hilarious. The character of Genie is genuinely one of the funniest characters I have seen, and the 'boys' dynamic is brilliant, with several gut busting lines that are delivered so well.
The interval twist is unexpected, but after the interval is where the film takes a dip in quality.
Whereas in the first half the meta comedy of the cameraman worked really well, in the second half they show the editor making comments which takes you out of the film's world. Furthermore, there are unnecessary shots of random woman dispersed throughout as that is what the 'editor' thinks will hook the audience. It detracts from the momentum after a very funny joke or a shocking moment.
However, the bad second half has a decent conclusion.
I rate this 5.5, rounded to 6, purely because the first half was absolutely brilliant.
(Furthermore, the camera style is great, and suits the film really well.)
Maaveeran (2023)
A flat 2nd half deflates an utterly masterful first
Rating Maaveeran based on its first half alone, it's easily a 9/10 or 10/10. The characterisations, the comedy, the writing, the acting, everything's on point. However, it suffers from Tamil cinema's new curse of the second half (many people said Jailer had this issue as well, I didn't notice it, but it just shows it's a problem that needs dealing with).
The 2nd half isn't *bad* per se, but it's very contrived, some of the stuff doesn't really make sense, and it surrenders itself to the masala genre. Now, I have no problem with masala movies (I in fact love them, and making a good one requires some skill), but Maaveeran was never meant to be massy. It was always meant to be an unconventional, offbeat entertainer.
One issue I had with the entire movie though was the portrayal of the villain. Considering the director did the masterful 'Mandela', you'd expect some more political nuance, but instead the villain is just big bad minister who is bad because he is meant to be bad. However, the way they wrote his advisor (acted by Sunil) was really nice.
7/10. One time watch.
Operation Java (2021)
Intelligent, classy, and modern
This should be viewed not as a thriller movie, but as a drama movie featuring thriller elements. It importantly follows the development of the two leads, told through a thriller setting. The way in which the stories of the true cases are executed is very intelligent, the editing is extremely fast (something which could be a turn off for anyone over the age of 25) and the music straight up slaps.
It nicely subverted some stereotypes of drama movies, the most notable being when the guy finally moves past the breakup, rather than trying to constantly chase his ex-girl (accompanied with a powerful anecdote about what love really is).
I don't have a fault for the movie, so ideally it should be a 9/10. However, -1 star is for the absolutely irritating 'TO BE CONTINUED' at the end. No, there's no need to continue the story, it had a nice ending and we'll leave it at that.
Baasha (1995)
Every masala film owes something to this movie
Baasha was truly way ahead of its time. Even NOW it still makes for massy, entertaining viewing (forgive the fleeting moments of melodrama, it was 1995 after all).
It's very difficult to understate this film's influence on Tamil cinema. A character in a normal occupation has a painful, dark past has become a staple template only because of this film. Rajini's superlatively massy performance rules this movie, and after Baasha he truly was never the same, becoming the epitome of mass. Heck, if he'd quit acting and entered politics after Baasha, he'd have been the Chief Minister easily.
Some scenes truly hit you hard. There are quite a few odes to Baasha in Rajini's most recent 'Jailer' (Sikander Singh's men, '100 times' being repeated throughout, the spinning chair at the end). What makes it really exceptional is even if someone didn't know who Rajini is (an impossibility, but sure), they'd still at the very least enjoy this movie, as it has a decent plot, an actually well-written flashback (which many films lack nowadays), and satisfying characters.
Imo, it's not Rajini sir's best - that belongs to Thalapathi. But it sure is iconic, and the rewatch value is extremely high (as with any of Rajini's best hits).
Jawan (2023)
incredibly poor attempt at film-making
The 8.1 rating is outrageous. I'd expect this to be closer to the negative numbers, but whatever.
As always, the artless director atlee produces a hotchpotch of previous tamil movies. It literally feels like he combined the scripts of theri, mersal, and bigil, added a bunch of laughable set pieces to justify the budget, and hoped Shah Rukh Khan would save the movie. Spoiler: he doesn't. The rave reviews just show how starved North India is of quality content, or how deluded the Shah Rukh Khan fanboy is.
Even the music is bad. This has to be Anirudh's WORST. Its a shocker to see how the man who gave us the Vikram, Master, and Jailer soundtracks (3 best soundtracks in Indian cinema imo) produced this uninspired garbage.
The criminals Shah Rukh Khan does his heists with are incredibly irritating, and only are written for a cheap 'girl power' message (Bigil, anyone?) to boost its critical reviews.
How srk picked this script is beyond me, I don't think this even qualifies as a Vijay film in terms of dumb writing.
Enthiran (2010)
this is literally my favourite movie
I love enthiran so much. Every rewatch this film gets better (even after 10 rewatches). It oscillates between dumb comedy and intelligent sci-fi/moral dilemmas, before ending with an iconic 45 minutes of action.
The standout of this movie though isnt the utterly insane story, the ludicrous action sequences - its the brilliant performance by rajini sir. No doubt, this is not winning him an oscar (who tf cares about oscars anyways) but it is just perfect for this movie. It's self-aware, serious, funny, and corny all at the same time, and in those last 45 minutes to 1 hour it is spellbinding. People saying rajini can't act should really watch this movie. The contrast of his deranged, psychotic chitti 2.0 performance with his mild dr. Vasigeeran shows his sheer range.
Once you finish this movie, it leaves you with a burning desire to watch it again.
Sivaji (2007)
Wtaf
This is not a rajini film.
Rajini films are defined by their kickass feel, like Baasha, Thalapathi, Annamalai, (and now Jailer joins this list) combined with good wholesome comedy, like in Mannan and Padayappa
People saying this is 'peak rajini' and placing this film as one of his massiest should really go watch any other film of his. Sivaji sacrifices the writing, logic and grounding of the film for style, comedy, and hasty social education.
The style sometimes works, but is heavily exaggerated, and doesnt really suit Rajini (but damn that mottai Rajini entry went hard)
The comedy lands once in a blue moon but mostly makes you think 'what am i watching'. Shankar really made Rajini sacrifice his dignity for this.
However, when the film is occasionally stylish, it's EXTREMELY stylish, and when the film is funny, it's gut-busting funny. It isnt necessarily boring as well, just made with mediocre quality.
With Sujatha (RIP) gone as well, I worry how the Shankar-Thalaivar pan India movie is gonna turn out upon watching this.
Farzi: Cat and Mouse (2023)
Extremely clever
As always, the writing, the acting (this time even VJS's character works to add to the comedy) and the characters are on point, but what makes this episode of Farzi stand out is how it genuinely outsmarts you. Initially, you have some idea of what's going on (the attentive viewer could easily spot that the fake bills the CCFART team caught were decoys), but later on (when they smuggle the money from Oman to Mumbai) you really have no idea what's coming. The non-linear storytelling adds to the complexity of the episode, and despite being packed with action and twists the episode flies by at breakneck speed.
I'd go so far as to say that Farzi has the potential to become India's own Breaking Bad.
Iratta (2023)
Movie of the year
Movies like 'Iratta' are really rare. We only get a few of those every decade. Examples include films like Se7en, Manichitrathazhu, Sardar Udham, etc. It's a shame that very few people will ever come across this movie, let alone watch it. Iratta truly has the best ending in cinema, an ending which haunts the viewer days after viewing.
The movie has to be watched with a level of thought and awareness. There are subtle differences in the way the lead portrays the two twins that people may miss if they're watching Iratta with half their brainpower.
It deals with some grim topics, such as rape, abuse, corruption, etc.
Again, the ending really comes out of nowhere. But is the best possible ending for the movie. This is the best type of twist. Not some cheap 'aha! Gotcha!' moment a la Now You See Me, but the twist has to be the natural conclusion of the story, whilst simultaneously being surprising. So far, in cinema history, no film has done the plot twist better than 'Iratta'. Really worth every second.
Jailer (2023)
The perfect character for Rajini Sir
Muthuvel Pandian is a character almost tailor-made for Rajini, and I was so glad to see parts of my version of an ideal Rajini film on the screen. He starts out as really soft, and in this part Rajini's acting prowess comes on full display, as he manages the role with deft subtlety. Later on, as I'm sure everyone knows by now, Rajini unleashes his brutal avatar, and by brutal this is brutality never seen before in a mass movie (only Vikram's violence level comes somewhat near it).
The family dynamic is executed really well, which shows Vijay's Varisu how to properly write family drama. Ramya Krishnan isn't used enough to make the Padaiyappa reunion stronger, but it is what it is.
The film's action sequences are really slick, and the much talked about interval block does not disappoint. It does slow a bit in the second half (could've been trimmed, and the Sunil-Tamanaah arc was a bit annoying), but it has a damn good payoff in the climax (with a literally the massiest scene in Tamil cinema). Pre climax twist was kind of predictable, but handled really well, and the downer ending was quite risky for a Rajini movie.
In Nelson's filmography, this is probably his 2nd best in terms of pure writing and direction (behind Doctor). As a Rajini fan however I found this to be his most enjoyable, and the best Rajini film in a bloody long time.
Thalaivar is absolutely back. There is no question about that.
Maamannan (2023)
Poor, preachy attempt at political drama
Maamannan is not like the other two Mari Selvaraj movies. Pariyerum Perumal was a powerful drama of pain, and Karnan was an utterly captivating, thrilling chronicle of the battle of a community subjugated by governmental forces and their neighbouring villages.
Maamannan doesn't evoke the same emotions in the viewer. At this point, the brutal scenes feel gratuitous, almost as though they enjoyed filming, in intensely graphic detail, a dog being beaten, children being stoned, and a group of hounds devouring a bunch of wild pigs.
The lack of emotional connection to Maamannan is also slightly ironic, as the film aims to protract every scene to squeeze an ounce of 1970s style melodrama. There is also a whole load of fight scenes, which ideally should be in one of Vijay's many mindless entertainers, but instead are placed in a political drama about the *hyper-original* topic of oppression.
The lead (dk his name) can't really act, FaFa is placed in a woefully written role, so he doesn't really have much to do other than to act like an arrogant toddler. Keerthy Suresh was absolutely abysmal with a performance literally the quality of a secondary school production.
That being said, Vadivelu's performance is somewhat admirable, and some black and white shots do truly look outstanding. The metaphors here are less subtle, and don't carry the same weight as the symbolism in Karnan.
2/10.
The Pledge (2001)
Pointless movie with a dumb ending
Up until it's third act the Pledge was a good suspense movie, but at its heart it's really a drama.
I have no problem with that at all. My problem concerns the unnecessarily (key word, unnecessarily) unsatisfying and tragic ending
I loved the way in which the real killer was revealed to us (it being the briefly mentioned "Oliver" from the land of Christmas sweet shop) but it's super easy to catch him. Just go to the mf sweet shop that makes the porcupines and arrest the guy if he's tall enough (heck, if you were an actually competent detective you'd notice the extremely massive door).
So bottom line, his life gets spoilt and he's left waiting for a killer who is stupidly easy to catch.
Thandatti (2023)
An okayish affair ruined by a ridiculous ending
Thandatti introduces a lot of interesting characters, and I found this to be the films strength. As a film, I believe it would've worked better as much much shorter, and as being more comic in tone, but nonetheless it does kind of work. However, in the climax, an utterly bizarre and illogical twist is revealed that ruins the whole film. People should realise that complexity and unpredictability doesn't necessarily make a film that good, and that sometimes simplicity is preferable.
The acting was a mixed bag, with a decent performance from the lead and the character playing Show Pandi. As for the story style, Thandatti lacks severely in subtlety and relies on loud music and countless flashbacks to convey information.
4/10.
Black Mirror: USS Callister (2017)
great concept
The highly imaginative premise of the episode is fundamentally ruined by the rushed, often cheap and cringy, third act.
The idea of the episode was very black mirror to me, but the script really wasn't, only having fleeting moments of tension and intensity. I don't have a problem with the comic, light-heartedness of it (Nosedive is my 2nd favourite episode), but it's often kiddish in depth. I mean, what even was that plan to obtain the omni-whatever device? The back door was deadass open, and there was that purposeful delay in the time during which Robert Daly returns to his desk just to allow for Nanette to escape. Honestly, stuff from a kid's movie.
Prior to that, however, the episode was really slick, and funny. The concept carries so much intrigue and is still as wild 6 years later.
7.0/10.
Black Mirror: Joan Is Awful (2023)
Would've worked more if it were shorter
Joan is Awful is very different to other Black Mirror episodes, as it opts for a more light-hearted tone. It starts high-concept, and ends really cleverly, but nothing else really happens in the middle to keep the viewer extremely hooked, safe for the comedy. Trimming at least 10 mins would've made this a short, slick, smart episode and an easy 8-9/10.
I wouldn't say it's an alternate reality of our own, as the other Black Mirror episodes are, but that's this episode's strength. It's simply just the right amount of imaginative to keep you engaged whilst also being quite funny. The ending is the only thing that makes this a black mirror episode, otherwise it's kind of a fun little adventure.
6.5/10.
Green Street (2005)
Football, Friendship, Fight Club
To start off with, I must say that Charlie Hunnam's accent is rather terrible, but that's easily forgettable given how enjoyable the movie is.
Green Street is a rather simple, largely predictable little movie yet it's extremely satisfying to watch. I personally live in the UK, so football hooliganism is something inescapable, and, putting Hunnam's terrible cockney attempt aside, the depiction of the football rowdies is rather accurate (I loved Hunnam's body language, absolutely on point).
There are no doubt influences drawn from fight club, with Elias as 'the narrator' and Pete as Tyler Durden.
Whilst it does have its flaws (the at times 1d story, the annoying character of Shannon) I personally found it very entertaining, with each character's decision (except Shannon's) having a clear motive. The portrayal of male football friendship is also very accurate. I wouldn't say it's for everybody, but I'll definitely rewatch in a few months time.
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
A very dark watch with a brutal ending
Gone Baby Gone is one of those extremely haunting films, that stays on your mind long after the credits roll.
After an unpredictable 'double twist' (that is, when there is a supposed twist ending, followed by another twist that also changes the perception of the movie), Patrick is confronted with a moral dilemma.
The ending is one of the most subtly bleak endings I've seen, with the mother not even knowing the name of her daughter's doll. Patrick sits in silence as he muses, reflecting that he made the wrong decision that day.
Overall, the movie was incredible - at times more disturbing than a horror movie (e.g the introduction of Helene and the Corwin Earle raid sequence). Definitely would recommend, and rewatch in a few months time.