Inspite of the contrivances and occasional sentiments, Priyamaanavale, which has been remade after both the Telugu and Hindi versions were hits, manages to hold our interest for quite a substantial portion of its running time. Some sharp dialogs, good performances and funny comedy go a long way in hiding the flaws in the movie. But towards the end, sentiments take the top spot and the overdose seems a little too much.

Vijay(Vijay), having grown up in the US, has no ideas of marriage and his policy is to enjoy his youth when possible. His father(S.P.Balasubramaniam), distraught at his son's ways, wants to marry him off to make him more responsible. His insistence makes Vijay agree to a marriage but with a condition - the marriage will be for a single year initially (kind of a test drive!) at the end of which he can choose to continue in it or not depending on his attitude towards his wife. His father picks Priya(Simran), his PA, who agrees to the condition because of the problems plaguing her family. Unmoved by her devotion to him, Vijay opts to get out of the marriage after the year is over. But realising her worth, he wants her to come back but its Priya's turn to say no.

Full credit must go to the director and the lead actors for keeping the movie as interesting as it is. The story moves at a fairly fast pace which doesn't allow us to dwell on the lack of logic for too long. Characters have been fleshed out quite well and the fairly interesting concept of the 'agreement marriage' keeps the movie flowing well. The way Vijay reacts to and handles Simran's antiquated notions about marriage and her behaviour towards her husband are funny and interesting and make a lot of sense too.

What is surprising is that the movie has so many negative points but still manages to be as entertaining as it is. Simran's acts of devotion towards Vijay when he is sick are a little overdone. The problems in her household and their timing are overly cinematic and predictable. Fight sequences have been forcibly inserted, probably to satisfy Vijay's fans. The characters of 'Thalaivaasal' Vijay and Kazhan Khan are unnecessary. Radhika Choudhary fares even worse, appearing for only a couple of scenes in the entire movie.

The 'Seemandham' scene is the highpoint of the movie. Sharp dialogs which are delivered well, first by Simran and then by Vijay highlight this scene. The movie becomes mired in sentiments after this scene. It is obvious the director has his eye on the fairer sex but he still deserves to be punished for putting a pregnant Simran through the ordeals. A scene where she falls on her stomach was particularly painful.

Vivek can add another successful movie to his comedy resume. His comedy routines, which accompany the main story instead of standing out separately, are hilarious. The scene where Vijay orders the entire office staff to wear blue is the pick of his scenes with every single line finding its mark. His gloating over Vijay when the foreign girl picks him over Vijay and his backtracking after he learns the real reason are top class. He also has a few choice lines about the Rajkumar kidnapping and attendees to social functions(which he has hosted several times) that are both topical and hilarious.

Without any heavy emoting requirements, Vijay makes a mark in the role. He looks smart and his casual dialog delivery is impressive in many scenes. Simran, in keeping with her recent selection of movies like Paarthen Rasithen, gets another meaty role and does full justice to it. The only downside is that the role offers no scope for glamour and barring a couple of song sequences, is completely non-glamorous throughout the movie.Both Vijay and Simran match each other and excel in the 'Seemandham' scene. SPB is effective as the worried father. S.A.Rajkumar's tunes are pleasant at best.