Venkat Prabhu’s ‘The Greatest of All Time’, starring Vijay, is a middling thriller with many high moments
One way to view G.O.A.T. is as a celebration of the star. That part works. But those of us who want more are left wanting. The very first […]
Tamil
Despite some “Tamil-film compromises”, Mari Selvaraj’s ‘Vaazhai’ is a work of terrifying cinematic beauty
The buildup to the climax is simply extraordinary. This is one of the best passages of cinema I have seen in recent times. There’s a remarkable “short story”
PS Vinothraj follows up ‘Pebbles’ with ‘Kottukkaali’, another excellent ‘road movie’ which world-premiered at the Forum section of the Berlinale
The film stars Soori and Anna Ben. Again, the ‘story’ is but an excuse to mount a wonderful set of characters and geographies and troubling traditions. To the
Pa. Ranjith’s ‘Thangalaan’, starring Vikram, has a number of interesting threads, but they don’t come together and the film doesn’t connect emotionally
For Vikram, who plays Thangalaan, the film is a triumph. But how can a single performance save a movie? ‘Thangalaan’ places so much on Vikram’s shoulders that it
Suman Kumar’s ‘Raghu Thatha’, with Keerthy Suresh, is a sweet, watchable film that struggles to live up to its potential
The minor comic bits are okay. But the major part of the narrative struggles to maintain a tone that can make the characters seem convincing even as the
Halitha Shameem’s ambitious ‘Minmini’ has a handful of good scenes, but the overall film isn’t satisfying
This is a blunt movie. Barring a few scenes, the delicacy we associate with Halitha’s work is missing. Minmini opens in a boarding school in Ooty. A teacher
Pari Elavazhagan’s ‘Jama’ is an ambitious, solidly narrated drama about a street-theatre troupe
The budget limitation is sometimes a spoilsport, but at every point, you can see the effort of trying something new. Despite the over-emphasis at times, the film works.
Dhanush’s ‘Raayan’ is an example of how good writing, staging, and spot-on casting can elevate the most templated material
The broad arc of the story is very generic: a drama of betrayal and revenge. But what makes the film feel fresh is the emphasis on family and
Parthiban’s ‘Teenz’ is a set of interesting ideas that do not come together in a satisfying way
The film stars a bunch of teenagers and Yogi Babu. It starts off like a ghost story and undergoes a genre shift, but the writing needed to be
Shankar’s ‘Indian 2’ has a solid premise that’s undone by vague, unfocused, uninteresting execution
The film stars Kamal Haasan, Siddharth, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Bobby Simha. The screenplay is flat, and we are forced to endure generic lectures about corruption. In 1987, in Nayakan,
Maharaja review: Has many “wow” moments, but they don’t result in an organic, cohesive narrative
The film stars Vijay Sethupathi, Anurag Kashyap, Natty Subramanian, Mamta Mohandas, Abhirami. The screenplay is so mechanically constructed that the emotional impact is muted. After Kurangu Bommai
Kalki 2898 AD review: A major technical achievement but the writing doesn’t match up
Among the huge star cast, Amitabh Bachchan stands out. The sluggish pre-interval portions are somewhat redeemed by an action-packed second half. From his first film, Nag Ashwin
Kalki 2898 AD review: A major technical achievement but the writing doesn’t match up Read More