2012 seems to be a year of movies that speak about the need to reform the education system. First came 'Nanban' and then followed 'Dhoni'. Now it is the turn of 'Saattai'.
'Saattai', directed by debutant M Anbhazhagan, speaks about the pitiable condition of primary education, especially in government schools.
The need to upgrade the knowledge of teachers, make them interact more with children and get to know their strength and weakness is what the movie is all about.
Though preachy at places, no doubt such movies are the need of the hour. Anbhazhagan seems to have done his home work right and had apparently been to several government schools, which face a stiff competition from many a private school....
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12:27 PM, Sep 21, 2012
Director Sasikumar knows the knack of rendering rural entertainers laced with romance and friendship. Starting with 'Subramaniapuram', he followed it up with 'Nadodigal'. Now in 'Sundarapandian', which is more of 'Subramaniapuram' meeting 'Nadodigal', the producer in Sasikumar has brought to the world a good director in S R Prabhakar. If the first half is a breezy cool entertainer, the second half is loaded with sentiments and powerful dialogues that make...
02:42 PM, Sep 15, 2012
In this two-plus hours of sheer torture, you wish you had walked into the theatre with few anacins in your pocket. 'Siruthai Puli' is the dubbed version of Telugu film 'Chirutha' starring then debutants Ram Charan and Neha Sharma. Helmed by the master of screenplay Puri, the film screams boredom and lacks even one inspiring moment. The only saving grace seems to have come in the form of actor Chiranjeevi's...
12:27 PM, Sep 09, 2012
With a sub-title (The Rajinikanth) that's enough to kindle the interest of the audience, debutant director Rajesh Kannan has come out with 'Perumaan', a film with newcomers Arjun and Sruthi in lead roles. The smartness he has shown in conceiving the tagline is missing in the way he has narrated the film, for the script lacks the much needed pep to keep the audience engaged. A suspense thriller, 'Perumaan' talks...
11:05 PM, Sep 07, 2012
At a time when commercial clich's rule the roost and hero-driven stories are the order of the day in Tamil cinema, comes a film where the story holds the key and characters are woven around a script. 'Mannaru' is one such attempt by debutant filmmaker Jai Shankar. The film which has Appukutty, who won the National award for best supporting actor for 'Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai', playing the lead, is a daringly...
09:40 PM, Sep 07, 2012
We grew up listening to childhood stories, involving superheroes. No different is this 'Mugamoodi'. Director Mysskin has attempted to narrate the tale of a bravado in a different style. In a nutshell, 'Mugamoodi' is like a 'Batman' or a 'Superman' of the West, meeting the action films of the East. The premise is local, but the flavor is different. The movie begins on a slow note setting up the story....
01:24 PM, Sep 01, 2012
A complicated story with too many twists and sub-plots makes up '18 Vayasu'. As against the title, it is no adolescent love story or candy floss romance. But '18 Vayasu' is a bumpy ride that speaks about a traumatized youngster. Lot was expected from actor Johnny and director Paneerselvam after their 'Renigunta'. They have come together again to give a movie that is seemingly inspired by Selvaraghavan's style. Johnny plays...
10:57 AM, Aug 27, 2012
Director Rasu Madhuravan is known for tearjerkers that are set around family values and sentiments. He has opted to take a different route in 'Pandi Oliperukki Nilayam', which is a laugh riot with an army of comedians. There are enough fun elements as the story takes backstage at one point of time. Major portion of the movie revolves around Mikeset Pandi, a role enacted by Sabarish, son of 'FEFSI' Vijayan....
01:09 PM, Aug 23, 2012
On one side, we have Director Vijay and Vikram coming together once again, and on another you have GV Prakash Kumar's 25th film. Things are looking rather good for 'Thandavam'. The film has 8 tracks for the audiences ranging from a folk song, to a wanna-be western almost-English song, and with them comes a lot of exciting music and unanswered questions. So, just like every new album, we will do...
12:14 PM, Aug 20, 2012
Can a music composer pull it off? Until now he has been behind the screens. Can he now recreate the magic on screen? These were the questions that could pop up before one goes to watch 'Naan', for it is the maiden venture of music composer Vijay Antony as an actor. The actor in the music composer has managed to pull it off well. One can enjoy the show. The...
05:33 PM, Aug 16, 2012
We all know what kind of films director Venkat Prabhu can present - cool themes that would lure youngsters. When his protege Pa Ranjith forays independently as filmmaker, he has done his mentor proud by giving a similar movie that is entertaining and catchy. Set around the lives of youngsters in rural areas around Chennai, the movie has funny moments to keep you glued to your seats. The travails of...
12:13 PM, Aug 16, 2012
Director P V Prasath made a talked about debut with 'Kadhalil Vizhunthen'. A desperate lover who lives with his beloved's corpse was narrated in his maiden venture. The filmmaker's next 'Eppadi Manasukkul Vandhai' is no different. Here again he speaks about a love-lorn youth, who decides to go to any extent to keep his romance going. Interestingly in both the films, the lead characters share the same economic background and...
04:44 PM, Aug 10, 2012
It is the solo of Ganesh Venkataraman. He had been part of films like 'Abhiyum Nanum' and 'Unnaipol Oruvan' before. But 'Pani Thuli' holds an important place in his career now. Directed by Natty Kumar and Dr Jay, the movie speaks about a youth's travails in his romance. What happens when an individual loses his memory temporarily and how it affects his love life forms the crux of the movie....
04:16 PM, Aug 10, 2012
Director S Ezhil of 'Thullatha Manamum Thullum' fame is back after a brief sojourn. He comes with a movie that is light-hearted, entertaining and hilarious and at the same a little cliched. With Siva Karthikeyan at the helm of affairs accompanied by a slew of comedy artistes, he has managed to come clean. 'Manam Koththi Paravai' is about romance, friendship and some emotions. The hero is simple guy who resembles...
08:28 PM, Jun 11, 2012
Chennai: Film: 'Aravaan': Cast: Aathi, Pasupathi, Dhanshika; Director: Vasanthabalan; Producer; T. Siva; Storwriter: Su. Venkatesan and Vasanthabalan; Composer: Karthik; Cinematographer: Siddharth; Rating: *** Vasantabalan, who made a name for himself by sensitively handling human lives and emiotions in his films, has come out with 'Aravaan', based on a novel by Su. Venkatesan, who won a Sahithya Academy award for the novel. The film was in the making for a long...
06:46 PM, Mar 04, 2012
Chennai: Film: 'Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal'; Cast: Atharva Murali, Amala Paul, Nasser, Anupama, Jayaprakash and Santhanam; Producer-Dierctor: Elred Kumar; Composer; G.V. Prakash Kumar; Cinematographer: Sakthi; Editor: Antony C. Ruban; Rating: ** 1/2 Pre-release Elred Kumar's 'Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal' (MUK) was marketed as a romantic thriller. Unfortunately it has turned out to be neither romantic nor thrilling. The movie opens with an unbelievable action sequence before going into the mode of a...
04:41 PM, Feb 19, 2012
Chennai: Film: 'Oru Nadigayin Vakkumoolam'; Directo: Rajkrishna; Cast: Sonia Agarwal, Yogi Devaraj, Girija, Raj Kapoor, Manobala, Ganja Karuppu, Kovai Sarala and Nicole; Cinematographer: Naga Krishnan; Composer: Aadhish; Rating: Rating: * 1/2 Journalist-turned-director Rajkrishna has helmed 'Oru Nadigayin Vakkumoolam' and has made a bold attempt to expose the dark underbelly of tinsel town. Though the subject is sensitive as it deals with the dignity of a woman who enters showbiz, the...
08:05 PM, Feb 12, 2012
Chennai: Film: 'Dhoni'; Cast: Prakash Raj, Akash Jagannath, Radhika Apte, Brahmanandham, Thanikala Bharani, Thalaivasal Vijay and Nasser; Director-Producer: Prakash Raj; Composer: Ilayaraja; Rating: *** Prakash Raj, an all-rounder, has now proved to be a dependable captain with his new role as director. His directorial venture 'Dhoni' is all about change as the movie highlights the flaws in the present education system. Subramanyam (Prakash Raj) alias Subbu is a government employee....
07:57 PM, Feb 12, 2012
Chennai: Film: 'Marina'; Cast: Siva Karthikeyan , Oviya, 'Pakada' Pandian, Sundararajan, Jitan Mohan, Attakati Aarumugam, Jayashree; Director: Pandiraj; Cinematographer: Vijay; Composer: Girish G; Rating: *** National award winning director Pandiraj has tried to explore Marina beach. The world's second largest beach is a synonym for romance in many Tamil films but there is more to it than that. It is also home to many vendors and beggars. If romance flows...
06:09 PM, Feb 05, 2012
Chennai: 'Nanban' (Tamil) Director: Shankar Cast: Vijay, Ileana, Jiiva, Shrikant It was a film that was critically acclaimed and commercially successful in its Hindi version. A tale of three friends, about the bonding and friendship, and of following ones dreams. And now 3 Idiots has been remade in Tamil as 'Nanban'. Remaking a successful film in another language is a challenging task for any director. But credit goes to Shankar...
06:54 PM, Jan 15, 2012
