HAPPY HUSBANDS

HAPPY HUSBANDS

Theatre : TVM Dhanya
Status : Balcony Full, FC 75%
Showtime & Date : 6.15pm 18-01-2010

After Ivar Vivahitharaayaal, Saji Surendran-Krishna Poojappura teams together for HAPPY HUSBANDS, which is a remake of bollywood flick NO ENTRY, though it's shown in the titles like it's adapted from Prabhu-Prabhudeva starrer tamil fick Charlie Chaplin. Anyways, Saji & Krishna managed to make an engaging movie without dull moments.

Story
Mukundan(Jayaram), MD of Kerala Today magazine is a loyal husband of Krishnendu(Bhavana). But Krishnendu always had doubts on her husband. John(Jayasurya) works on Mukundan's magazine as photographer. Rahul(Indrajith) is a Romeo, but a loyal husband in front of Shreya(Samvrutha Sunil). Krishnendu & Shreya are friends & Krishnendu asks Mukundan to become Rahul's friend. Through Rahul, Mukundan mets Diana(Rima Kallingal). At a point Mukundan introduces Diana to Krishnendu as John's wife. By the time, John is in love with Zarina(Vandana). Rest of the story is how these three husbands manages in front of their wives without revealing the truth.

Performances
Jayaram is the backbone of the movie. He performed Mukundan with such an ease and evokes laughter with his own style of expressions. Indrajith as Rahul is good and refreshing, especially dialogue deliver style. Jayasurya has nothing much to do and is OK only. All the four female characters, Bhavana, Samvrutha Sunil, Vandana & Rima Kallingal has nothing much to do. Bhavana seems too young to become Jayaram's wife. Rima Kallingal's make up was horrible. Suraj Venjarammood entertains us again with his TVM slang, though repetitive in certain scenes, enjoyable at many parts. Salimkumar in double role scores with his dialogue delivery styles and looks. Manianpilla Raju is wasted. Sadhique scores in his opening scene. Rest all fits their roles.

Songs
Though songs & its picturisation are below average, while watching the movie, those will fit the bill.

Technical
Manoj's editing was superb. Anil Nair's camera fails to experiment in good available locations in the movie

Script & Direction
Krishna Poojappura has translated NO ENTRY to malayalam with malayalam flavours for our audience and he succeeded in that. Saji Surendran was able to make this an engaging movie without much lagging. The first half of the movie lacks much interesting sequences. Also Jayasurya-Vandana track was out of place and was not good compared to the whole movie speed & comedy. The second half of the movie was a roller coaster ride which makes the movie a fast comedy entertainer of recent times. Don't think of anything else. If you want to enjoy 2hr 40minutes, GO FOR IT!!!!

Verdict : Fast Comedy Entertainer
BO Verdict : Sure Hit

After Gulumaal, another bollywood remake is becoming a winner in Kerala Box Office. We have only a James Albert now who has come with no cliched scenes in script in recent times.

EVIDAM SWARGAMAANU

EVIDAM SWARGAMAANU

Theatre : TVM Sreekumar
Status : 99.99%
Showtime & Date : 6.00pm, 01-01-2010

Director Rosshan Andrrews is cheating Malayalee audience by making movies once in a while. A director like this, who handles the script very well must do atleast one movie a year. Once in a while only movie like this happens, a movie in which characters can be identified by all with some new info to audience. It's a superb entertainer with no sidetrack slapstick comedies, songs & a love affair.

Story
Mathews aka Mathevoos aka Mathachan(Mohanlal), son of Jerumias(Thilakan), is the owner of 3 acre land in which he is running a farm. Aluva Chandy(Lalu Alex) is a land mafia person who wants to buy Mathews's land too. Problem starts when Mathews tells Chandy that he won't sell his land. Chandy, the man who has influence in govt offices tries his best to acquire the land by creating unnecessary problems with the help of officers and using forged certificates created by Bhuvanachandran(Jagathy Sreekumar). The rest of the story is how Mathews overcome these problems and protects his land.

Performances
Mohanlal as Mathews is not a different or special role for him. But the actor playing such a kind of role after a long time gives some freshness. Lalu Alex as Aluva Chandy is good. All the three female leads are apt, Lakshmi Rai's lip sync needs to be improved. Shankar, Innocent, Sadhiq, Chalipala, Edavela Babu....all did their part well. Baiju Ezhupunna as Aluva Chandy's supporter is a refreshing one on screen. Thilakan has nothing much to do. Kaviyoor Ponnamma is a big minus. Sukumari is wasted.

Though in limited scenes, Sreenivasan as Prabalan/Koshy, Jagathy as Bhuvanachandran & Manianpilla Raju as lawyer simply rocked. Jagathy as certificate maker was excellent in his expressions & dialogue delivery styles. Sreenivasan acted as a catalyst for the second half of the movie's proceedings. Manianpilla Raju in his climax scene was good.

Songs

Director has taken a bold decision that not to have a single song in the movie. If there was a song, it would have been be a speedbreaker for the movie. BGM by Gopi Sundar was good. But repetition of the same BGM in many scenes could have been avoided.

Technical
Art directon was excellent, Cinematography too. Editing was good, action too.

Script & Direction
James Albert, the script writer once again proved his talent. EXCELLENT!!! EXCELLENT!!! EXCELLENT!!! James developed the story through sequences which will give some freshness to the audience. All the characters in the movie, even an actor appearing in a single scene has got a characterisation. He was able to increase the pace in development of the story gradually and able to make it racy towards the climax.  Dialogues are EXCELLENT. The home work done by Script Writer is clearly visible in all scenes, especially court matters, register office proceedings & above all Jagathy's character and his LAB.

Directon by Rosshan Andrrews is good. He was able to make the audience travel through the problems of Mathews. SUPERB DIRECTION with great technical perfection.

Nothing more to say, GO FOR IT!!!

Verdict : Very Good
BO Verdict : Super Hit

I felt only one negative in the movie. The opening school visit sequence of Shobha Mohan was a bitlengthy. Watch it atleast 2-3 times in theatres. ENJOY!!!

CHATTAMBINAADU

CHATTAMBINAADU

Theatre : TVM Anjali
Status : 100
Showtime & Date : 6.30pm, 24th Dec 2009

After the lukewarm response of Shafi-Benny P Nayarambalam team's LOLLIPOP, they are back with a Mammootty starrer one which has nothing new to offer but an entertaining one with never a dull moment.

Story
Veerendra Mallayya(Mammootty) comes to ChembattuNaadu aka ChattambiNaadu. He comes there to buy the properties of Manoj.K.Jayan's character who is the son of Vijayaraghavan's character. Nagendran(Siddhique) is the rival team. The rest of the story is the acton-reaction play of Mammootty and Siddhique & a flashback episode.

Performances
Mammootty as Veerendra Mallayya is good in his Kannada Malayalam slang. Siddhique reminds us his role in Maadambi & Prakash Raj's role in Ghillli in two scenes. Vinu Mohan repeats his Kunchacko Boban-Jayasurya play again. All the thrre female characters Lakshmi Rai, Maidhili & Meenakshi has nothing to do. Maidhili has only one dialogue. Janardhanan, Vijayaraghavan, Saikumar all are apt for the role.

As Benny's previous Mammootty flick AnnanThambi, here too Suraj Venjaarammood & Salimkumar are the big plus points of the movie. Salimkumar reminds us of his role in Mayavi. But his dialogues are good. Suraj was good in certain scenes but went overboard on certain scenes. His Bheeman Raghu act was entertaining.

Technical
Action by Anal Arasu was good. Rest all were usual only.

Songs
Below Average.

Script & Direction
Script by Benny P Nayarambalam is  mix of Rajamanikyam & Annan Thampi. An entertaining one till the preclimax episode, a misunderstanding, then truth reveals, film over. Direction  by Shafi is racy, but nothing new.

Verdict : Tad above Average Mass Entertainer
B.O Verdict : Above average

When I came out after watching the movie, I saw a flex ALL KERALA VINUMOHAN FANS ASSOCIATION, CHENGALCHOOLA UNIT. Not a single comedy scene in the movie will come anywhere near this COMEDY.

GULUMAAL THE ESCAPE

Gulumaal the Escape

Theatre : TVM Kripa

Status : 100%

Showtime : 6.15pm

After a series of flops, V.K.Prakash has finally come up with a movie which entertains the audience. This time VKP has come with a comedy genre one.

Story

Ravi Varma(Kunchacko Boban) needs some money to release his father(Nedumudi Venu) from jail. After trying all possible ways, he decides to do Tharikida to get money. He joins Jerry Mathews(Jayasuriya) who is a hardcore conman. They decides to sell a copy of a rare painting to an NRI Emir(Devan). In between Shambhu(Suraj Venjarammood) & assistant(Bijukkuttan) is in search of these two. Also Jerry's sister Saira(Mithra Kurian) works in the same hotel where Emir stays. The rest of the story is how they are selling the painting to NRI and some surprising twists.

Performances

Kunchacko Boban as Ravi Varma has come up with a good performance in his new look, especially in jail sequence with Nedumudi Venu. This one will be a good comeback for him. Jayasuriya as Jerry did his conman role with ease. His hospital sequence in second half was good.Though Suraj and Bijukkuttan track was totally out of the storyline, it was enjoyable, though nothing special. Mithra as Saira has nothing much to do. Devan, Manianpilla Raju, Nedumudi Venu had done their roles well in limited scenes, especially Devan in climax scene was good. APPY BIJU played by Kottayam Nazeer needs a special mention as he rocks in his single scene he got.

Songs

Manu Ramesh has come with songs which stays true to the genre of the movie. Kilukilukkum is my pick with 80's orchestration. Voice modulation by Sithara Balakrishnan was superb.

Technical

Camera Woman Fouziya Fathima has done a great job. Editing was good. As 2 cameras were used, assistants need special mention.

Script and Direction

Script by debutant Y.V.Rajesh is a straight lift from Argentenian movie Nueve Reinas. But he succeeded in making it an enjoyable one with changes for malayalee audience. It is the energy level of the lead stars which makes the movie enjoyable with beautiful sequences. Sequences in which Ravi and Jerry cheating each other was superb. Dialogues were not that powerful in certain scenes. Length of certain scenes should have been reduced. Also climax should have been made in a better way, atleast as in the original which was much more effective and superb. VKP, as usual was able to show something different on screen, this time audience too liked it. On the whole, it is a watchable mass entertainer.

Verdict : Above average

BO Verdict : Already a hit, may become a big hit because of low production cost

 As 98% of the audience were families, claps and koovals were not there much. Only for three scenes the whole theatre applauded.

1. Suraj's Chirappunji & Sadashivan Maaman dialogues.

2. Jayasuriya's dialogue "Hey man, come and THORA"

3. Kunchacko Boban's expression when Devan says 3 lakh, DOLLARS, 1.5 crore

VETTAIKAARAN

VETTAIKAARAN

Theatre : TVM Parthas

Showtime : 6.15pm

Date : 18th Dec 2009

Status : 100% with extra chairs

Debutant director BabuSivan suceeded in making a fast mass masala entertainer with Ilayathalapathy Vijay, who badly needs a hit after three consecutive not so successful films. Here there are not many overdose of heroism scenes.

Story

Devaraj IPS(Telugu actor Real Star Sreehari) is an encounter specialist in Chennai. In Tuticorn(Thoothukkudi), Ravi(Vijay), also known as Police Ravi is an ardent fan of Devaraj and is dreaming of becoming an officer like him though he didn't pass plus two four times. Finally he pass the exam and decided to go to the college where Devaraj studied and like him, he decided to do part-time job as an Auto-rikshaw driver. On the way to Chennai, Ravi meets Susheela(Anushka) and falls in love. In Chennai, he had a clash towards the interval with Chella(Ravishankar), a womaniser. Police arrests Ravi & officer Kattabbomman(Shayaji Shinde) plans to do an encounter. Though Susheela seeks help of Devaraj, he didn't. Then Vijay escapes from encounter and meets Devaraj, who is a blind man now because of Chella & his father Vedanayakam(Salim Ghose). From then onwards Ravi starts his hunting.

Performances

Vijay as Ravi is the main attraction and backbone of the movie. His immense screen presence makes his counter with baddies a visual extravaganza. He was superb in comic sequences with Sukumari & Anushka.  Anushka, after Rendu is back in Tamil, as Susheela, Ravi's love interest mainly for songs and romantic sequences. The only scene she had got to perform was his scene with Sreehari, where she asks his help to save Ravi. Sreehari has done his part well. Cochin Haneefa & Sukumari were good with limited scenes and superb dialogues. Sathyan has nothing much to do. Salim Ghose and Ravishankar were apt as villains. Shayaji Shinde was good as comic villain especially scenes with Manobala who plays press reporter.

Songs

Vijay Antony was able to make all the songs different genres where "Naan Adicha.." is the pick. BGM with Naan Adicha music was superb.

Technical

Gopinath's camera work was superb towards the interval especially chase sequences. Kanal Kannan's action has nothing special to do in second half, but rocked in first half. Art direction remains usual. Editing was good, but needs trimming in second half.

Script & Direction

Debutant BabuSivan was able to make the first half superb with correct mixture of comedy, action, songs as the viewer won't thinks of anything else at that time. But the second half becomes a predictable one which could have been made a bit tricky one.

Second half needs trimming. Though songs "Oru Chinnathaamarai" & "En Uchimandele" are good to hear, both are misplaced ones in the movie. Also the dialogues of Salim Ghose after a time becomes so lengthy which makes irritating. Also Sreehari's flashback episode makes us remember Sundar.C's Thee(Another Sun Pictures outing, remake of telugu movie Operation Duryodhana). Vijay's meeting with Salim Ghose at Vedanayakam Tea Stall sequence was excellent. BabuSivan proved that he's a good dialogue writer in Kuruvi itself. In this one too dialogues are good with non-repeating punch dialogues.

Altogether the movie has got a superb first half and a tad above average second half.

Verdict : Above Average Mass Entertainer

BO Verdict : Hit

100 times better than Kuruvi & Villu

NAAN AVANILLAI 2

NAAN AVANILLAI 2 

 



Theatre : Thiyagaraja
Status : 40%
Showtime : Started at 11.25(FDFS)

Director Selva is back with "Mirattal Nayakan" Jeevan in NAAN AVAN ILLAI 2, a sequel to the same team's first one. In this one too, director handles the role of Jeevan as a man who cheats women in various identities and various getups. What makes the movie more interesting is the awesome performance by Rasika(Sangeetha).

Story
The movie begins with scenes from the first part. Then in titles shows a lady saint(Rachana Maurya) comes to her place and giving interview to press people. The whole story happens in European countries. She shows the photograph of Jeevan sleeping and tells them that he is her God. The newspaper article with Jeevan's photo make him identified by several women who were affected by him.

Sakhi(Hema Malini) with her mother comes to meet the saint. Sakhitells her story. Sakhi knows him as Software Engineer Mahesh. She wants his husband as an obedient servant and gets impressed by Jeevan's acts.

Next is Shwetha Menon's episode. She was a fraud who attracts married men and invites for party in her home and make them give her diamonds as present as she had a fascination for it. After she gets diamonds, she calls those men's wife and makes their life GOVINDA. Jeevan fools her in the role of Aravind, a married millionare.

Next is Deepa(Lakshmi Rai), an actress who wants to buy land in all countries. Jeevan plays a Bharath-Sharath double act and cheats her.

By the time Lakshmi Rai's brother Raj Kapoor, the very same police officer in the first part enters and all of them asks her how that fraud became God to her. She tells her story. She was a thief and drug smuggler. He enters her life as Vaali, a poet.  She was not aware of Tamil language. Jeevan translates poet Vaali's film songs & poems to English, which made her leave that life and choose such a good path.

In between each of the episodes shows Jeevan remembering Rasika's episode. She meets her first time when he gives her a lift in car. And second time in a restaurant which lead to an accident and she admits him in a hospital. Then from her friends, he comes to know that she is a widow and now a case is going on about the ownership of the child. Her husband's relatives were first reluctant to her marriage as she is a Srilankan Tamil and then agreed. When her cousin comes and shows about the sufferings of Srilankan Tamils, they decided to go to Srilanka with her doctor husband and to start a trust for their welfare. For that they borrowed money from husband's relatives. But in Srilanka, her husband was killed in an explosion. They clearly told that she will get her child only when she pay their money. What Jeevan does is next.

Performances
Jeevan does his role once again, a tad above what he did in first. All the lady characters did theis part, mainly glamour show. Mayilsami who helps Jeevan in first part as the guy who telephones has got a throughout role as his assistant.

But Sangeetha alias Rasika walks away with all applause in her non glamourous role. She plays a character having stammering and difficulty in walking after the accident mentioned above. Also her SriLankan Tamil accent Tamil with stammering accent was superb. She was the most convincing role in the whole movie and the role was well developed.

Technical
Cinematography was good, editing too. Art direction has nothing special to mention as the whole movie happens in Europe, every frame shows richnesss.

Songs
Music is by D.Imman. First two songs are above average, the others are not upto the mark.

Director Selva's screenplay is fast and much better than the first one. Dialogues by Pattukkottai Prabhakaran is good. In climax, he tells why he did so to each one of them. The reasons are much more convincing and reasonable ones compared to Aasai-Peraasai in first one. As in first one, director doen not shows how he did each as everyone knows how. Also director is successful in linking the recent happening in SriLanka.

Director has come with a predictible, yet entertaining movie.

Verdict : Watchable Entertainer

There is a scene in which Dhoni's name is said to Lakshmi Rai, it was good.

ADHEY NERAM ADHEY IDAM : PATHETIC

 ADHEY NERAM ADHEY IDAM

Theatre : Adyar GanapathyRam
Status : FC 30%, Balcony 90% (60% after 40 minutes of the movie)
Showtime : 11.30am(FDFS)

Debutant director M.Prabhu had committed a crime, ATTEMPT TO MURDER those who were watching the movie. I think this guy was not watching any Tamil movies for last 2-3 decades.

Story 

Karthik(Jai) is a lazy tad who loves to raom with his friends. His father is a friend too for him played by Nizhalgal Ravi(Kakka Ravi). One day he meets Janani and falls in love(LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT). Then till minutes before interval their love 2 songs and all. Nizhalgal Ravi asks his son to get a job once he came to know about his love affair. He arranges him a job in Australia and asks him not to keep any contacts with Janani for 1 year. After one year, he'll make arrangements for their marriage. After 10 months, Janani's father comes with a rich man's proposal. She agrees to that and tell her friend that she loved Karthik, but for life, she needs money and so a rich man as husband. Marriage occurs and there comes INTERVAL. After Interval, Karthik meets Janani's husband at flight and they became good friends without knowing that he married his lover. Karthik comes to know about her marriage and asks her and she clarifies that she did it to make her life happy. Her husband, his friend now tells him not to allow that girl to live her life happily after spoiling yours without knowing that girl is his wife. In climax, she agrees to be Karthik's wife for one day. When Karthik tell this matter to his friend, he arranges a guest house for him for that day. There Karthik kills Janani. Her husband comes there after sometime and realises that she's the girl who spoiled Karthik's life.

Performances
Jai does his VIJAY play again in songs and scenes. Vijayalakshmi, after homely look in Chennai 600028 and Anjathey, she becomes glamourous in this. Both Ja and Vijayalakshmi should be given an admission in acting institute, dancing school WHAT else.........Debutant Rahul plays Vijayalakshmi's husband role which is a notable one to an extent. All the friend character roles of Jai are pure waste, especially Lollusabha Jeeva(Lollusabha : A pgm in VijayTV thrru which Santhanam get into cinemas). There is not a single dialogue makes us laugh

Technical
Nothing to mention, everythings bad. Everything is in 80's style

Songs
Premji Amaren(actor) scores the music and is above average for Lalithanand's lyrics

There was an average plot to make the movie engaging. But the screenplay, SORRY there is nothing like that here. Dialogues by lyricist Lalithanand is horrible. Director, Is there a guy like that in the sets of this movie????? The director should be given a life imprisonment so that he won't make movies again.

Box Office Verdict : Washout

Verdict : Most Pathetic Tamil Movie I have ever seen. Torture at its maximum level.

Friends gangumaayi theatre-il enjoy cheyyaan, padathekkurichu comment adikkuka aanu udheshamenkil Go with ur friends that too at your own risk